Archaeologists have unearthed a 4,000-year-old tomb in Saqqara, Egypt that belonged to Teti Neb Fu, a royal witch doctor. Sitting 40km south of Cairo near Giza, Saqqara is an ancient burial ground for high-ranking officials.
The team has been excavating the southern side of the site, where the tomb is located, since 2022. Saqqara is the location of the very first Egyptian pyramid and is renowned for its association with Egypt’s earliest dynasties.
The burial chambers, known as mastabas, held particularly important people. Teti Neb Fu’s tomb is remarkably well-preserved in some ways, although almost everything within it had been looted before it was uncovered. There were also no bones within the grave.
Instead, researchers identified who the tomb belonged to by the inscriptions and carvings on its intricately decorated walls. These not only name the man who once lay within but also give some clues about the magician’s life.
Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Snake doctor
Teti Neb Fu lived in Ancient Egypt’s Sixth Dynasty during the rule of King Pepi II. The inscriptions show that he held several prestigious titles. These include the Chief Palace Physician, Chief Dentist, Priest and Magician of the Goddess Serket, and the Director of Medicinal Plants. These all suggest he served as both a healer and a magician, blending medical knowledge with spiritual practices to treat ailments within the pharaoh’s court.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Teti Neb Fu’s career was his knowledge of how to treat venomous bites and stings. Researchers believe this might have been his specialty because of his association with Serket, the goddess of protection, healing, and magic. Often depicted with a scorpion on her crown, she was known for healing their venomous bites.
Muhammad Ismail Khaled, the Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, thinks the list of intriguing titles reveals a lot about the beliefs within ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom. The references to medicine, magic, and religion show that these practices, while odd bedfellows in our era, complemented each other in ancient Egypt.
Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Elaborate tomb
The elaborate tomb reflects Teti Neb Fu’s prestigious position. Its walls are covered with carvings of healing scenes and rituals and hieroglyphs describing his work.
“The tomb is adorned with stunning carvings and vibrant artwork, including a beautifully painted false door and scenes of funerary offerings,” the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.
The discovery of Teti Neb Fu’s life as healer and magician of the pharaoh’s court provides a deeper understanding of early Egypt. Archaeologists have previously found tombs belonging to the wives and senior officials of King Pepi I, but this is the most intriguing find so far.
