Abusir Tomb
Photographs by Kenneth Garrett
Text by Zahi Hawass
The serene face of Iufaa, an Egyptian priest, greets the mortal world for the first time in 2,500 years. Deep below the desert sands, archaeologists from the Czech Republic's Charles University uncovered the rarest of finds, an unlooted tomb with hundreds of artifacts. From beneath the lid of a colossal stone sarcophagus workers removed mud bricks and plaster, exposing an inner sarcophagus carved in Iufaa's image and decorated with a scarab, symbol of eternal rebirth, and protective hieroglyphics. The next day the inner sarcophagus was opened, disturbing Iufaa's peaceful afterlife but revealing much about his world.
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NGM 1998/11