Senior judge’s tomb with colorful funerary scenes uncovered at Saqqara in Egypt

A joint Spanish-Egyptian archaeological team has uncovered a tomb dating to the late Fifth Dynasty at Saqqara, Egypt.

The tomb dates to the reign of King Djedkare Isesi, who ruled near the end of the Fifth Dynasty. The team found the tomb during its 2026 excavation season in the area known as the Mariette Cemetery, north of Saqqara.

The tomb takes the form of a medium-sized mastaba with two funerary chapels. The northern chapel belonged to a man named Yunmin, who held several senior state posts.

Yunmin served as a judge and court director. He also headed the scribes who dealt with petitions and complaints.

The second chapel belonged to Yunmin’s father, Iti. His work involved scribal duties linked to the management of farmland and offerings.

Both chapels open onto the mastaba’s eastern wall. Yunmin’s larger chapel stands on the northern side.

Excavations inside the main chapel found a decorated architectural facade with funerary texts and an offering formula. A formal image of Yunmin also appears within the chapel.

The walls feature high-quality relief scenes showing farm work and processions carrying offerings to the tomb. Many of the scenes still retain their original colors.

The surviving paint gives researchers a chance to study the artistic style used during the late Fifth Dynasty. The scenes also record aspects of farming and the movement of offerings within the funerary setting.

Iti’s chapel lies to the south. It contains a false door and painted wall scenes showing offerings being presented. Much of the decoration has been lost.

The location itself wasn’t unknown. French archaeologist Auguste Mariette worked in the area during the 19th century, and the mastaba site was known from his excavations.

The newly uncovered tomb, though, had never received a full excavation and archaeological record using a modern research program. The 2026 work has now documented both chapels in detail.

The project is a joint scientific effort between the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain and Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The team continues archaeological work in the area north of Saqqara.

Researchers have also completed conservation and restoration work on the newly found architectural and decorative features. The work aims to preserve the remains for future study and for future generations.

More information: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities