Photo: Archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, courtesy of zahi_hawass Instagram

Near the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egyptologists working on an ancient cemetery uncovered what has been called “the oldest and most complete mummy found in Egypt to date.”

Located at the bottom of a 45-foot (15-meter) shaft, a limestone sarcophagus contained the remains of a very rich man whom hieroglyphics named Heka-shepas, who was probably the oldest mummy ever found who wasn’t a blue blood.

How old was this Heka-shepas? Last year was the 100th anniversary of the opening of the “Boy King” Tutenkhamon’s tomb. During the Boy King’s reign, Heka-shepas had already been slumbering under the sands for more than 1,000 years.

The shaft containing him was found near the modern-day village of Saqqara, a location near the capital city of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, from 2,700 to 2,200 BCE.

His remains were found covered in gold leaf, with various jewelry pieces bedecking the body.

Near Heka-shepas’ tomb, other shafts were found that uncovered important wooden statues, some behind a false wall.

“The mission discovered three stone statues representing a person named Fetek,” Renowned Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass detailed on his Instagram. “Beside these statues was an offering table and a stone sarcophagus that contained his mummy.”

Two other mummies were found with the discovery. The priests Khnum-djed-ef and Messi were found in the pyramid complexes of Unas, and King Pepi I respectively.

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The Step Pyramid of Djoser is thought to be the oldest monumental stone building in Egypt, and the Saqqara cemetery nearby has yielded many outstanding treasures before. In 2021, the tomb of Queen Nearit, who was the wife of King Teti, the first king of the sixth dynasty of the Old Kingdom, was found there, as was the royal treasurer of Pharaoh Ramses II.

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