actualité de l'Égypte, actualite de l'Egypte actualité de l'Égypte, actualite de l'Egypte
actualité de l'Égypte, actualite de l'Egypte actualité de l'Égypte, actualite de l'Egypte
Cairo, Sept 11 (AFP)-Japanese archaeologists said Tuesday they have found evidence that a cult grew up around King Cheops, builder of Egypt's greatest pyramid, and that he was worshipped by ancient Egyptians long after his death.
Sakuji Yoshimura from Japan's Waseda University told AFP his team had found the king's name inscribed inside a chamber built over 1,300 years after the pharaoh's death on a hill in Saqqara south of Cairo.
It was the first discovery of such an inscription, found at the feet of a statue of the lion goddess Sekhmet, although a small statue of King Cheops of an undetermined date has previously been found in Egypt, he said.
The September 1 finding indicates that « this small hill is the centre of the cult of King Khufu (Cheops) and Sekhmet, » said Yoshimura, adding that around eight other statues of Sekhmet were found in the chamber.
The Japanese professor, who has worked in Egypt for over 30 years, said he believes the chamber, built as a tomb but used to store precious objects, is linked to the nearby late 19th dynasty tomb of Ramses II's fourth son, prince Khaemweset, who he now believes worshipped King Cheops.
That would date the chamber to around 1200 BC, or more than 1,300 years after King Cheops built the largest of the three Great Pyramids at Giza, north of Saqqara, proving he was worshipped long after his death.
Yoshimura said in an interview with AFP he now believes Cheops was worshipped « continually » throughout the pharaonic era, over a period of around 3,000 years.
In addition to the Sekhmet statues, around a dozen other « beautiful objects » were found in the storage chamber, including a bluish mud statue of a figure covering its ears with its hands, the project director said.
Yoshimura is also involved in a stalled project to extract DNA samples from the mummy of boy king Tutankhamun with the aim of determining if he was the son of the so-called heretic, monotheistic pharaoh Akhenaton.
Egypt reversed a decision to allow the experiment to go ahead just six hours after the project got underway, without giving any explanation, Yoshimura said.
 
cairo, sept 11 (afp)-japanese archaeologists said tuesday they have found evidence that a cult grew up around king cheops, builder of egypt's greatest pyramid, and that he was worshipped by ancient egyptians long after his death.
sakuji yoshimura from japan's waseda university told afp his team had found the king's name inscribed inside a chamber built over 1,300 years after the pharaoh's death on a hill in saqqara south of cairo.
it was the first discovery of such an inscription, found at the feet of a statue of the lion goddess sekhmet, although a small statue of king cheops of an undetermined date has previously been found in egypt, he said.
the september 1 finding indicates that "this small hill is the centre of the cult of king khufu (cheops) and sekhmet," said yoshimura, adding that around eight other statues of sekhmet were found in the chamber.
the japanese professor, who has worked in egypt for over 30 years, said he believes the chamber, built as a tomb but used to store precious objects, is linked to the nearby late 19th dynasty tomb of ramses ii's fourth son, prince khaemweset, who he now believes worshipped king cheops.
that would date the chamber to around 1200 bc, or more than 1,300 years after king cheops built the largest of the three great pyramids at giza, north of saqqara, proving he was worshipped long after his death.
yoshimura said in an interview with afp he now believes cheops was worshipped "continually" throughout the pharaonic era, over a period of around 3,000 years.
in addition to the sekhmet statues, around a dozen other "beautiful objects" were found in the storage chamber, including a bluish mud statue of a figure covering its ears with its hands, the project director said.
yoshimura is also involved in a stalled project to extract dna samples from the mummy of boy king tutankhamun with the aim of determining if he was the son of the so-called heretic, monotheistic pharaoh akhenaton.
egypt reversed a decision to allow the experiment to go ahead just six hours after the project got underway, without giving any explanation, yoshimura said.