Who the God Thoth is

In ancient Egypt, Thoth was considered to be the god of knowledge, writing, wisdom, magic, moon etc. He worshipped in ancient Egypt for a long period of time ranging from the pre-dynastic period (6000 – 3150 BCE) to the Ptolemaic era(323 – 30 BCE). His main cult center was located at Hermopolis.

thoth-god-of-writing-wisdom

He was also widely associated with the concept of the afterlife. He was believed to keep the accounts of the life of the soul of the deceased at the ritual of the weighing of the heart in the Hall of Truth in the afterlife. Thus his association with burial practices was a common phenomenon in ancient Egypt.

Discovery of a Hugh Cemetery

During archaeological excavation during the early month of the year 2018, an unknown necropolis or cemetery was unearthed by the archaeologists. This cemetery was thought to be more than 2000 years old and was found in great preserved condition. Further inquiries have revealed the association of this cemetery with the Pharaonic Late Period & the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

inside-the-cemetery

Location of the Cemetery

The place where the cemetery has been unearthed is located in the south of Cairo in the Minya province. Within six kilometers of this newly discovered cemetery, the necropolis of Khmun, ‘Tuna-el-Gebel’ is located.

Inside the Cemetery

The tomb-complex has a large number of burial shafts. It contains at least 8 tombs. 40 sarcophagi varying in shape & size were unearthed from these tombs. According to Egypt’s Antiquities Minister, Khaled-al-Ananai, we have to wait for at least 5 years to uncover the whole cemetery & also to complete every possible scientific application to this cemetery.

archaeologists-working-inside-the-cemetery

Tomb of a High Priest of Thoth

The main attraction of the recent findings from the excavation from this cemetery is a tomb of a high priest of God Thoth. The identification of the tomb as the tomb of a high priest of  Thoth was possible on the basis of the epigraphic evidence on canopic jars.

From the hieroglyphics on the canopic jars, it came to be known that the tomb belongs to that priest who was given the title of ‘One of the Great five’ reserved for the most senior of the Thoth’s priests. Among these canopic jars, four were found in good condition containing preserved parts of the mummified priest.

This mummy also attracted everyone because of its appearance. It Has a bronze collar showing the deity Nut, goddess of the sky. He was also decorated with blue and red beads, two bronze eyes decorated with crystal & four amulets made of semi-precious stones.

Other Antiquities

Along with the tomb of a high priest of Thoth, at least 1000 small & blue-green Ushabti figurines were also recovered. Ushabti figurines were mainly identified with the figurines of servants that were made out of glazed earthenware and placed inside the tomb in ancient Egypt in order to be with the deceased in the afterlife.

ushabti-figurines
collection-of-the-ushabti-figurines

Some of the Other sarcophagi bear the name of the owner of the coffin. The names of their owners were written in hieroglyphics. These sarcophaguses were thought to belong to the family of that high priest.