Roman pyramid tomb discovered in Egyptian oasis of Dakhla with inscriptions in ancient Greek

An Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered a unique pyramidal tomb dating back to the Roman period at the archaeological site of Bir Al-Shaghala, in the Dakhla oasis.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the tomb features a rare stone entrance, funerary scenes from the ancient Egyptian mortuary book Imy-Duat and a 19-verse funeral lament written in ancient Greek.

The tomb is built of adobe and is believed to have been used to bury a man and his wife. The burial was discovered by an Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

Its unique architectural design and combination of Egyptian, Greek and Roman elements offer new insights into funerary practices and cultural life in the Dakhla oasis during the Roman period, according to its discoverers.

Among the most notable finds is a stone funerary stele with a lament written in ancient Greek. The 19-verse text is dedicated to a man named Pisechtes, who, according to preliminary studies, may have served as a judge.

Dated to the end of the 3rd century or the beginning of the 4th century AD. C., the inscription evidences the literary and cultural activity that flourished in the oasis during the Roman period.

A fourteen-step staircase leads to a sandstone entrance built in the Egyptian architectural style. The entrance is decorated with bas-relief hieroglyphic inscriptions containing funerary spells and protective prayers.

Its upper section features an Egyptian cornice decorated with a winged solar disk and two cobras, followed by an architectural element that looks like a bundle of reeds.

The lintel displays a unique funerary scene that represents the seventh hour of the Imy-Duat, one of the ancient Egyptian Books of the Underworld. Researchers identified this scene for the first time among the tombs of the Bir Al-Shaghala necropolis.

Archaeologists also found evidence suggesting that the tomb may have been reused later. Above the main entrance, an adobe chapel was discovered, with a funerary sanctuary in front of it, composed of four square adobe columns.