The tomb of Prince Waser-If-Re, son of King Userkaf, the founding ruler of Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty, has been uncovered on Friday, 18 April in the Saqqara necropolis by an Egyptian archaeological team led by renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass.
The discovery was made by a mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in collaboration with the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Archaeology and Heritage.
“This is a milestone in uncovering new layers of Egypt’s rich and ancient history,” said Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy on Friday, who praised the fact that the discovery was made entirely by an Egyptian team.
Among the most significant finds is a massive pink granite false door — the largest of its kind in Egypt, standing 4.5 metres tall and inscribed with hieroglyphic texts listing the prince’s many titles, including “Hereditary Prince,” “Vizier,” “Judge,” and “Chanting Priest.”
Hawass also revealed that the team uncovered a statue ensemble of King Djoser — the first king of Egypt’s Third Dynasty, alongside his wife and ten daughters. According to preliminary analysis, the statues were likely moved from a chamber near Djoser’s Step Pyramid to Prince Waser-If-Re’s tomb during the Late Period.
“This is the first time we find a statue group of King Djoser’s family,” Hawass stated on Friday, calling it “ a rare and important discovery.”
The tomb also yielded a black granite statue from the 26th Dynasty, a red granite offering table inscribed with ritual texts, and a secondary entrance engraved with the cartouche of King Neferirkare. A group of 13 pink granite statues, placed on high-backed chairs, believed to include representations of the prince’s wives, were also found, some headless or toppled.
Excavations are still underway, but officials believe the site could offer deeper insight into how Saqqara evolved across Egypt’s dynasties.
“Saqqara is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world,” Hawass added. “Every discovery here brings us closer to understanding the complexity of our ancient civilization.”
