A team of Dutch and Italian archaeologists, working in collaboration with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, uncovered a subterranean tomb complex dating back about 3,200 years at Saqqara. The discovery was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, signaling a significant addition to the valley’s royal era archaeology. The site sits within a broader complex identified as belonging to a pharaoh associated with the temple of Amun, a link that places Panechsias in a crucial religious and administrative role during the Ramesside period.
The expedition revealed a separate temple connected by an entrance, leading to a colonnaded courtyard and a passage that extends down to the underground burial chambers. This architectural arrangement speaks to the careful planning and ceremonial function of the site, suggesting it was designed for ongoing ritual activity, not merely for static burial rites. The layout reflects a blend of cultic space and mortuary architecture that characterizes royal-approved tomb complexes of the era.
Within the subterranean precincts, researchers found images portraying Panechsias and his wife Baya participating in religious services. A stone relief depicts the deceased couple seated at a sacrificial table, adorned in leopard skins, beside the priest Pay. The presence of Pay in the relief implies a recognized role in the funerary or death cult associated with Panechsias, while a figure named Piai appears to have acted as a subordinate overseeing burial rites and related ceremonies.
Further discoveries include four chapels situated on the eastern side of the tomb. Among them, two chapels preserve wall reliefs in notable condition, illustrating a funeral procession and various scenes related to the afterlife. These depictions enrich scholars’ understanding of ritual practices and beliefs about the journey after death in this period, offering a tangible glimpse into the ceremonial life that surrounded royal burials at Saqqara.
The site’s discovery adds a valuable chapter to the study of Ramesside-era sacred architecture in the Nile valley. It underscores how tomb complexes functioned as focal points for religious activity, governance, and dynastic commemoration. The combination of an entrance-driven temple, an open courtyard, and a sequence leading to burial spaces demonstrates a sophisticated approach to linking public cultic spaces with private royal interments. As researchers continue to document the relief work and architectural details, the Saqqara complex is expected to yield further insights into the roles of priestly figures, the management of funerary cults, and the daily routines surrounding monumental royal tombs in ancient Egypt.