A joint archaeological mission has unearthed a perplexing discovery within the ancient necropolis of Saqqara: a monumental yet entirely non-functional pink granite door dating back four millennia.
The elaborate false door was found within the recently discovered tomb of Prince Waser-If-Re, son of the Old Kingdom pharaoh Userkaf.
The imposing structure, standing over 14 feet tall, is intricately carved with hieroglyphs detailing the names and prestigious titles of the royal prince, according to initial reports.
While such symbolic false doors are known in ancient Egyptian funerary architecture – believed to act as spiritual portals between the earthly realm and the afterlife, allowing the deceased’s soul to traverse freely – this particular example has left researchers intrigued by its sheer scale and the secrets it seemingly guards.
Beyond this phantom portal, however, the excavation team uncovered a wealth of significant artifacts. Thirteen remarkably preserved high-backed chairs adorned with striking pink granite statuettes were among the finds. A red granite offering table bearing carved texts describing ancient ritual sacrifices further illuminated the funerary practices associated with the prince.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the tomb also yielded a collection of statues depicting King Djoser, the famed builder of Saqqara’s iconic step pyramid, alongside his wife and ten daughters. Esteemed archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, who is closely following the excavation, posits that these statues, originally situated near Djoser’s pyramid complex, were likely moved to Prince Waser-If-Re’s tomb during the Late Period of ancient Egypt. This relocation suggests a fascinating, and as yet unclear, connection between the two royal figures separated by centuries.
Adding another layer of mystery, a substantial black granite statue of a standing man, inscribed with hieroglyphs dating back to the 26th Dynasty, was also discovered within the tomb. This later addition indicates the tomb’s continued significance and potential reuse long after Prince Waser-If-Re’s initial burial.
The team also revealed another entrance to the tomb, also crafted from pink granite and bearing the cartouche of King Neferirkare, a pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty. The abundance of pink granite, particularly in the form of the thirteen discovered statues believed to represent the prince’s wives or high-ranking female relatives, is considered a unique characteristic of this Saqqara find.
The archaeological team is committed to further investigation of the tomb, hoping to unlock more secrets about Prince Waser-If-Re, the purpose of the enigmatic false door, and the intriguing connections to earlier and later periods of Egyptian history.
