Archaeologists Unearth Tomb of Pharaoh’s Doctor and ‘Magician’

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced the discovery of an “engraved and beautifully painted” tomb of a royal doctor from the Sixth Dynasty by a French-Swiss joint archaeological mission.

The discovery was of a Mustaba tomb, a rectangular mud-brick structure with a flat roof and sloping sides. “Mastaba” is the Arabic word for “bench,” which is what these tombs resembled, according to the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University.

The tomb was decorated with distinctive carvings and drawings, and belonged to a doctor called “Titi Nab Fu”, who lived during the reign of King Pepe II. The decorations included carvings of funerary scenes, a painted false door with bright colors, as well as a stone sarcophagus inscribed with the name of Teti Neb Fu and his various titles. The titles included positions as chief doctor at the palace, priest and “Magician” of the Goddess Serket, chief dentist, and director of medicinal plants, according to a Facebook post from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Titi Nab Fu would have been partly responsible for the area’s universally accessible healthcare system that included non-invasive surgeries, bone setting, dentistry, and an extensive range of pharmacological treatments, according to Heritage Daily, which first reported the news.

“Despite evidence of ancient looting, the tomb’s walls remain intact, offering a rare glimpse into daily life and cultural practices during the Old Kingdom,” the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities wrote in its social media post. “The team also discovered a stone sarcophagus with inscriptions bearing the physician’s name and titles.”

Dr. Muhammad Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a written statement that the discovery of the doctor’s tomb added to the history of the region, located south of the Saqqara archaeological area where the tombs of senior statesmen from the Old State era are buried. Dr. Khaled also said the tomb of Titi Nab Fu revealed new aspects of the culture of daily life in the Old State era through its texts and drawings found on the walls.

The French-Swiss archaeological excavation also uncovered a red painted ceiling resembling granite stones, engravings depicting furniture, funerary offerings, as well as a stone coffin engraved with the name and titles of the owner of the cemetery.

Dr. Philippe Collombert, professor of Egyptology at the University of Geneva, and director of the Archaeological French-Swiss Mission at Saqqara, said in a statement that the mission began excavations in the area of the graves for state employees starting in 2022.