It’s not just any grave. And not everyone took care of the health of the Egyptian pharaohs. Therefore, the discovery of the tomb of the pharaoh’s doctor is notable.
It is the tomb of the doctor of Pharaoh Neferkara Pepy (23rd-22nd centuries BC). It was discovered by archaeologists during excavations in the area of the town of Saqqara, south of Cairo. This was reported by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. According to officials, the discovery sheds light on daily life at that time.

Labeled sarcophagus
«It was done by a joint Franco-Swiss archaeological mission. He found in the south of the Saqqara archaeological zone, which contains tombs of high-ranking statesmen from the time of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, a mastaba [tumba] of adobe. “It belongs to the doctor Teti Neb Fu,” says the organization. It stands out that he held several high positions. In particular: chief palace physician, priest of the goddess Serket, chief dentist and director of medicinal plants.
The Old Kingdom of Egypt is a period in ancient Egyptian history spanning between 2686 and 2181 BC. This period consists of Dynasties III-VI. Neferkara Pepy, also known as Pepi II, was the last relevant pharaoh of the VI Dynasty and the Old Kingdom. He ruled between approximately 2278 and 2184 BC.
The Ministry’s statement also indicates that the mission discovered a sarcophagus. It has the name and titles of the tomb’s owner written in hieroglyphics inside.

Necropolis
The secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Khaled Ismail, commented on the discovery. He says that the images and texts found in the mastaba reveal new aspects of the daily culture of the time. The head of the archaeological mission is Philippe Colombier. He believes that the tomb of the pharaoh’s doctor was probably looted, but the images remained on the walls.
In the archaeological complex of Saqqara, on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, is the oldest necropolis. Its first burials date back to the I Dynasty of pharaohs (31st-29th centuries BC). One of the most famous monuments in Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser.