Ancient Cult Chapels, Egyptian Noblewoman's Tomb Found Andrew
Bossone in Cairo for National Geographic News |March 6, 2009| A
3,000-year-old noblewoman's tomb complex has been uncovered in
Egypt, archaeologists announced Tuesday. The tomb has been
identified as belonging to a woman named Isisnofret—possibly the
granddaughter of Pharaoh Ramses II, who reigned during the 13th
century B.C. Hieroglyphics on a sarcophagus in the tomb identify
Isisnofret as a spst, or noblewoman—an honorific reserved for
women of the royal family or of otherwise exceptional status.
Long hidden by sand and rubble on a rocky outcrop on the
outskirts the ancient royal burial city of Saqqara, the complex
measures 89 by 34 feet (27 by 10 meters). The tomb complex
includes the base of a pyramid, a monumental gateway, a
colonnaded courtyard, and an antechamber with three cult
chapels, according to the team from Japan's Waseda University
that has been excavating the site since 1991. Dining With the
Dead Common in New Kingdom (1539 to 1075