Unknown Ancient Funerary Structures Discovered in West Saqqara (Egypt) Using Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR)

The ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted in the south-eastern part of the Polish archaeological concession in West Saqqara confirmed the high usability of the GPR method in non-invasive prospecting of desert archaeological sites. The survey has allowed to confirm the location of one and the discovery of two so far unknown funerary structures characterized by significantly large dimensions. Analysis of the reflection profiles allow to conclude that these anomalies are generated by rock-hewn burial shafts. Only one of these tombs can be dated with high confidence to the end of the Old Kingdom. Precise determination of the chronology of the two other structures is not possible without archaeological verification.