A joint Spanish-Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered a tomb dating to the late Fifth Dynasty at Saqqara, providing new evidence on the senior officials who served the Egyptian administration during the reign of King Djedkare Isesi.
The discovery was made during the mission”s 2026 excavation season in an area known as the “Mariette Cemetery” in North Saqqara.
The tomb consists of a medium-sized mastaba containing two funerary chapels belonging to a father and son.
The principal chapel belonged to a man named Yunmin, a high-ranking official who held several important administrative positions, including judge, director of the court, and chief of the scribes responsible for examining petitions and complaints.
The second chapel belonged to his father, Iti, who held scribal positions associated with the administration of agricultural land and offerings.
The excavations are being carried out as part of a joint archaeological project between the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Dr Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discovery provides new archaeological information about the Saqqara necropolis during the closing years of the Fifth Dynasty.
He noted that the mastaba also offers further evidence concerning the architectural and artistic characteristics of tombs from the period, as well as the administrative positions occupied by senior state officials.
Although the location of the mastaba had been known since the excavations of French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in the nineteenth century, the monument had not previously been subjected to comprehensive archaeological excavation and documentation using modern scientific methods.
This gives the mission’s excavation and documentation of the monument particular significance.
Remarkably Preserved Reliefs
Dr Josep Cervelló Autuori, head of the mission from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, said the mastaba contains two funerary chapels opening from its eastern wall.
Yunmin’s principal chapel is located in the northern section of the monument.
Excavations inside the chapel revealed a distinctive architectural facade bearing funerary inscriptions and an offering formula, together with a formal representation of the tomb owner.
The chapel walls are decorated with high-quality raised reliefs depicting agricultural activities and processions carrying offerings to the tomb.
A significant number of the reliefs retain their original colours, providing an impressive example of the artistic quality achieved by craftsmen during the late Fifth Dynasty.
The southern chapel belonged to Yunmin’s father, Iti. It contains a false door and coloured wall decoration depicting offering scenes, although a considerable portion of its original decoration has been lost.
Dr Amr El-Tayeb, Director-General of the Saqqara archaeological area, said the mission has completed the excavation and comprehensive scientific documentation of both chapels.
The team has also carried out an integrated programme of conservation, restoration and archaeological preservation of the newly documented architectural and decorative elements to ensure their long-term protection.
The discovery adds another chapter to the archaeology of North Saqqara and offers valuable evidence about family relationships, administration, funerary architecture and artistic production among Egypt’s elite during the later Fifth Dynasty.
