The pink granite sarcophagus of a high-ranking Egyptian noble has been found in an ancient burial chamber near Cairo, where it has been lying for thousands of years.
It belonged to Ptah-em-wia, who served as head of the treasury under Ramses the Great, and has been described by archaeologists as a 'dream discovery'.
Inscribed on all sides with emblems, hiéroglyphs and titles, the up to 3,300-year-old stone coffin was found in pristine condition and in its original tomb 23 feet underground.
Professor Ola El Aguizy, who discovered the sarcophagus in Saqqara, hopes the finding will shed light on those who ruled Egypt after Tutankhamun.
The Cairo University archaeologist said: 'The hiéroglyphs on the sarcophagus certify that it is Ptah-em-wia and also the titles mentioned on the sarcophagus are the same as those found on the walls of the tomb itself. It only emphasises that he is a nobleman and quite close to the king, because his titles related to the temple of millions of years in Thebes prove that he had a very important role in the administration of that time. He could be equalled to the Minister of finance nowadays.'
