The Egyptian Ministry of Culture confirmed on Sunday (October 5th) that a limestone wall painting from the Pharaonic period has recently gone missing from the Saqqara ancient burial site, located approximately 24 kilometers southwest of Cairo. The authorities suspect it may have been stolen, and an investigation has been launched. This incident adds to a series of recent thefts of cultural artifacts in Egypt, once again raising concerns about the security of the country’s archaeological heritage.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the missing wall painting was originally housed in the tomb of the high official “Khentika” from the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (around 2700 to 2200 BC). The tomb was first discovered in the 1950s and has not been open to the public since it was closed in 2019.
In May of this year, a British archaeological team discovered the painting missing during a routine survey and promptly reported it to the Egyptian authorities. Officials confirmed that the painting had indeed disappeared, suspected to have been either stolen or illegally removed. Police and archaeologists have begun on-site inspections and investigations.
Egyptian media and academic sources indicate that the wall painting, made of limestone, depicts the ancient Egyptian three-season calendar based on the variations in the Nile River’s water levels: the flooding season “Akhet,” the sowing season “Proyet,” and the harvest season “Shomu.” It reflects the close relationship between ancient Egyptian agricultural civilization and natural rhythms. This artwork not only holds artistic value but also serves as important historical evidence for studying ancient Egyptian social life and religious beliefs.
The tomb of Khentika is also known for its outer walls engraved with the “Curse of the Pharaohs.” Studies by British Egyptologist Harry James and his colleagues in the 1950s indicated that this tomb was one of the few Mastaba-style tombs with a “curse inscription” on its outer walls, warning intruders of “divine punishment.”
The Saqqara site, located on the western side of ancient Memphis, is one of the most significant royal and aristocratic burial grounds in ancient Egypt, renowned for the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser.
The site, along with the pyramids at Giza, Abu Sir, Dahshur, and Abu Rawash, collectively form the “Memphis Necropolis,” which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
Less than a month before this wall painting disappearance, the Cairo Egyptian Museum reported a theft of antiquities. A gold bracelet dating back approximately three thousand years, belonging to the 21st Dynasty Pharaoh Amenemope, went missing on September 9th. At the time of the incident, the museum was preparing to exhibit some artifacts for an Italian exhibition.
According to subsequent reports from the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the bracelet disappeared from the restoration laboratory, leading to suspicions of involvement by internal staff. The case has since been handed over to prosecutors for investigation.