Nile Cruisen Team 
The joint Spanish-Egyptian archaeological mission, working in the Saqqara Antiquities Area, revealed an archaeological cemetery dating back to the late Fifth Dynasty, specifically during the reign of King Djedkare Issi, during the mission’s 2026 excavation season in the area known as the “Mariette Cemetery” north of Saqqara.
The discovered tomb is represented in a medium-sized mastaba that includes two funerary cabins. One of them belonged to a person named “Yunmin,” who held a number of high-ranking positions, including the judge, the court director, and the chief clerk specializing in examining petitions and complaints, while the second cabin belonged to his father, “Eti,” who held clerical positions related to the management of agricultural lands and offerings.
The mission works within the framework of a joint scientific project between the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain and the Supreme Council of Antiquities, as it continues excavations and archaeological research in the area north of Saqqara.
Dr. Hisham Al-Laithi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stressed the importance of this discovery, as it adds new archaeological information about the Saqqara cemetery during the late Fifth Dynasty. It also sheds more light on the nature of the tombs and their architectural and artistic styles, in addition to the administrative positions held by senior state officials during this period in the history of ancient Egypt.
He added that the mastaba site had been known since the excavations of the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in the nineteenth century, but it had not previously been subject to archaeological excavation and documentation according to an integrated scientific approach, which gives special importance to the mission’s work and the new discovery.
Dr. Josep Ser Vio Autori, head of the mission from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, explained that the cemetery includes two funerary chambers opening on the eastern wall of the mastaba, where the main chamber for the “Yunmin” is located on the northern side.
Dr. Josep Ser Vio Autori, head of the mission from the University of Barcelona, explained that the excavation work revealed inside it a distinct architectural façade bearing funerary texts and a formula for offerings, in addition to a depiction of the owner of the tomb in an official guise. The walls of the cabin were also decorated with prominent, high-quality scenes depicting a number of agricultural activities and processions transporting offerings to the cemetery, a large number of which retained their original colors, reflecting the distinguished artistic level of the artists of that period. As for the southern compartment, it belongs to Iti, the father of Yeonmin, and includes a false door and colorful wall decorations depicting scenes of sacrifice, although a large part of these decorations has been lost.
Dr. Amr El-Tibi, Director General of the Saqqara Antiquities Area, indicated that the mission completed the excavation work and complete scientific documentation of the two shrines, in addition to implementing an integrated program for maintenance, restoration and archaeological preservation of the discovered architectural and decorative elements, ensuring their preservation and preservation for future generations.
