According to researchers, the tomb discovered in the Saqqara necropolis dates back approximately 4,100 years. It belonged to a court physician named Tetinebefu.
Who Was Tetinebefu?
From the hieroglyphic inscriptions in the tomb, scientists learned that the person buried here treated the pharaoh.
The tomb had been completely looted, and no human remains were found within it. Despite this, archaeologists were able to study numerous wall paintings, carvings, and hieroglyphs. This allowed the team to uncover the status and skills of the physician. They also examined images of items that may have been used in medical practice.
It has been revealed that Tetinebefu held the title of magician or conjurer of the goddess Serket, who was associated with scorpions and was believed to provide protection against their stings. Meanwhile, this title for a physician indicated that “he was a specialist in poisonous bites,” said Philip Collombier, the head of the archaeological team and an Egyptologist at the University of Geneva, in an interview with Live Science.
The inscriptions also indicated that the physician was the “chief of medicinal plants”: this title had only been encountered once before by researchers conducting excavations in Egypt. Additionally, Tetinebefu served as the chief dentist.
“Evidence of ancient Egyptian dentists is extremely scarce,” noted Roger Forshaw, an honorary lecturer at the Center for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester, who was not involved in the study.
All these titles suggest that Tetinebefu was at the pinnacle of his career. “He was undoubtedly the chief physician at court and treated the pharaoh,” Collombier stated.
What Surprised Scientists About the Tomb?
In photographs provided by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, it can be seen that Tetinebefu’s tomb is adorned with colorful wall paintings. They depict various containers, such as jars and something resembling a vase. The space is also decorated with vibrant abstractions and geometric shapes.
“The walls are covered from top to bottom with drawings in bright, fresh colors! It’s hard to believe they are over 4,000 years old!” the team wrote on their blog.
It is still not definitively known which pharaohs Tetinebefu served. Among them could have been Pepi II (or Piopi II), who ruled around 2246-2152 BC, or one or more pharaohs who reigned slightly later, Collombier said. During Pepi II’s time, Egypt was unified, and pyramids were still being constructed. However, after his reign, the state began to gradually disintegrate. The so-called First Intermediate Period began, lasting approximately from 2150 to 2030 BC. The analysis of the tomb is ongoing.