Egypt has announced the discovery of a private tomb belonging to a senior official from the 5th dynasty of the pharaohs, which ruled roughly 4,400 years ago.
Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani announced the find at a press conference today at the site of the tomb in Saqqara, just west of Cairo, which is also home to the famed Step Pyramid.
![Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, speaks inside the recently uncovered tomb. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/72JZJDZ7R7CRZNTSEZLAE4ZWXI.jpg?auth=ecccd318158f65a2f0041f4ed31a4fa85e725e1da603837d865728e5683f588d&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
He said drawings on the tomb's walls were "exceptionally well-preserved." The drawings depicted the official and his family, he added.
The tomb also contained a total of 45 statues carved in rock. Again, they depict the official and his family.