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An Egyptian Tomb Decorated with Magic Snake Spells Discovered
During excavations at Abusir, between Giza and Saqqara, archaeologists at the Czech Institute of Egyptology (CIE) found an ancient tomb with magic spells that protect the tomb’s occupant against snake bites. The tomb is dated to the 1st millennium BC.
The tomb was uncovered during excavations conducted in April and May, the Czech Institute of Egyptology (CIE) at Charles University in Prague, which led the investigations, announced Friday.
The archaeological site of Abusir is known for its extensive necropolis and pyramid complexes that date back to the Old Kingdom period (2686-2181 BC).
The newly discovered tomb is located in a western section of Abusir that served as a cemetery for high-ranking officials and military commanders from ancient Egypt’s 26th and 27th dynasties.
“It is a richly decorated shaft tomb of medium size, whose owner, a certain Džehutiemhat, held the office of the royal scribe,” explains Ladislav Bareš, who has been coordinating the research of Abusir shaft tombs for a long time.
Analysis of bones recovered from the tomb has determined that Djehutyemhat died at a relatively early age of about 25 years, showing signs of some kind of “occupational disease” (spinal wear), possibly due to sedentary work. He suffered from acute osteoporosis.
The tomb is a medium-sized shaft tomb adorned with an array of inscriptions, artwork, and texts. Notably, its northern wall features a series of spells designed to safeguard against snake bites. During this era, venomous snakes were a constant threat, and these spells were crucial for protection. Interestingly, the spells also depict snakes as powerful guardians of the deceased and their mummy.
“The snakes mentioned in these magical texts were a potential danger and could serve as powerful protectors of the deceased and his mummy,” the scientists noted.
Renata Landgrafova, director of the Czech Institute of Egyptology and an expert on ancient Egyptian language and texts, noted that the southern and western walls of the tomb were painted with drawings of sacrificial rituals and a long list of victims.
The southern and western walls of the burial chamber, hidden almost 50 meters below ground level, are decorated with ritual offerings, and the ceiling displays intricate depictions of the sun’s journey across the sky, accompanied by hymns to the celestial body.
A large stone sarcophagus, adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions and depictions of gods, sits at the center of the burial chamber. Some of these inscriptions are excerpts from the Book of the Dead, a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts known for their spells and magical formulas.
The upper side of the sarcophagus lid is decorated with three columns of hieroglyphic text with the liturgy of the 178th chapter of the Book of the Dead, which consists of excerpts from much older texts of the pyramids. These texts were thought to guide and protect the deceased in the afterlife.
The sarcophagus also features images of goddesses Isis and Nephthys, along with accompanying texts providing protection to the deceased. The presence of Imentet, the goddess of the West, adds a symbolic layer of meaning to the tomb.
The tomb’s magical texts and inscriptions served a profound purpose. They were intended to ensure a smooth and secure journey into the afterlife for the dignitary, Djehutyemhat. This discovery not only sheds light on the individual and their role in this turbulent period but also on the fascinating beliefs and rituals of ancient Egyptians during the 6th to 5th centuries B.C.
注释：
millennium: n
表示"一千年；太平盛世"，means "a span of 1000 years; "，如：I do not expect the millennium to come during my lifetime. 我并不指望我这一生中能碰上太平盛世。
necropolis: n
表示"大墓地"，means "a tract of land used for burial"，如：Ghost Dragons are the most powerful creature of the Necropolis. 幽灵龙是墓地里最强大的生物。
scribe: v
表示" 抄写；划线"，means "score a line on with a pointed instrument, as in metalworking"，如：Students will be asked to scribe lecture notes. 学生将被要求记课堂笔记。
sedentary: adj
表示" 久坐的；固定不动的"，means "requiring sitting or little activity"，如：We should do away with the sedentary lifestyle. 我们应该抛弃久坐的生活方式。
osteoporosis: n
表示" 骨质疏松症"，means "abnormal loss of bony tissue resulting in fragile porous bones attributable to a lack of calcium; most common in postmenopausal women"，如：Milk will help prevent osteoporosis. 牛奶可防骨质疏松症。
venomous: adj
表示" 恶意的；有毒的"，means "extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom"，如：His venomous look terrified the little girl. 他恶毒的表情吓坏了这个小女孩。The woman is as venomous as snakes and scorpions. 这个女人有着蛇蝎般的心肠。
sacrificial: adj
表示" 献祭的；牺牲的"，means "used in or connected with a sacrifice"，如：The priest held up the head of the sacrificial goat. 牧师举起献祭的山羊的头。
ritual: adj
表示"仪式"，means "any customary observance or practice"，如：Almost every culture has rituals to signal change in one's life. 几乎在每一种文化中都有标志一个人生活变化的仪式。
hymn: n
表示"赞美诗；圣歌"，means "song of praise,especially to God"，如：The priests piously consecrated the robbery with a hymn. 教士们虔诚地唱了一首赞美诗，把这劫夺行为神圣化了。
sarcophagus: n
表示" 石棺"，means "a stone coffin (usually bearing sculpture or inscriptions)"，如：I can't wait to see his crystal sarcophagus! 我等不及想看到他的水晶棺了。
hieroglyphic: n; adj
表示" 象形文字;象形文字的"，means "writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible); resembling hieroglyphic writing"，如：There is no indication that script had as many ideograms as the hieroglyphic had. 没有迹象表明这种文字是拥有很多表意文字，就如那些象形文字一样。Dongba is an ancient hieroglyphic language. 东巴文是一种古老的象形文字。
liturgy: adj
表示" 礼拜形式；圣餐仪式"，means "a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship"，如：The mass is the church a kind of liturgy. 弥撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。
Isis: n
表示" 伊希斯(埃及神话中的生育女神)"，means "Egyptian goddess of fertility; daughter of Geb; sister and wife of Osiris"，如：The symbol of Isis was the Egyptian cobra. 埃及眼镜蛇象征着伊希斯。
Nephthys: n
表示"伊希斯妹妹奈弗台斯"，means "Egyptian goddess associated with ritual of the dead; sister of Geb and Nut; wife of Set"，如：The goddess Isis, consort of Osiris, and her sister Nephthys found the pieces and gave new life to Osiris, who became the ruler of the underworld. 俄赛里斯的配偶伊希斯和她的妹妹奈弗台斯，一一拾回，赐予俄赛里斯新的生命，其后来成为冥府的统治者。
dignitary: n; adj
表示" 高贵的人,高官; 地位尊贵的"，means "an important or influential (and often overbearing) person"，如：The dignitary also said that a solution must be worked out to put an end to the recent political unrest in the country. 该高官也说，必须提出一种解决方法，以将该国最近的政治动荡加以平息。
中文简要说明：
捷克考古人员最近在埃及获得耐人寻味的新发现。位于埃及北部的阿布西尔（Abusir）一处考古地点，近期有一座藏有魔法咒语的古墓出土，咒语可保护墓主免遭蛇咬。
土耳其《考古新闻》（Arkeonews）周六（11日）所报导，布拉格查理大学（Charles University）的捷克埃及学研究（Czech Institute of Egyptology，CIE）10日宣布，今年4月至5月在位于吉萨（Giza）与撒卡拉（Saqqara）之间的阿布西尔执行挖掘作业过程，发现一座历史可溯及公元前1000年的坟墓。
捷克考古学家发现的古墓位于阿布西尔西部，当地是古埃及第26、第27王朝高阶官员、军事指挥官的墓地，这座竖穴墓（shaft tomb）规模中等、装饰华丽，墓主名叫杰胡迪姆哈特（Džehutiemhat），生前任职皇家书记所。研究人员分析出土骨骼发现，杰胡迪姆哈特死亡时约25岁，相对年轻，患有急性骨质疏松症，脊椎有磨损迹象，可能是久坐工作所致的「职业病」。
这座墓的装饰包括大量铭刻、艺品、文字。墓室北墙有一连串目的在于防止蛇咬的咒语。亡者生前所处的年代，毒蛇属于经常出没的威胁，时人认为神奇的咒语具有重大保护作用。有趣的是，这些咒语提及，蛇是可能带来危险，因此能够为亡者与其木乃伊提供强大的保护。墓室南墙、西墙会有祭祀仪式图画与一长串献祭者名单。这两面墙藏在地面以下将近50公尺处，以祭品为装饰，天花板绘有太阳在空中运行的复杂图案，附有对于天体的赞歌。
墓室中央有个巨大石棺，外表饰以象形文字与神祇绘画，部分铭刻内容摘自《亡灵书》（the Book of the Dead）。《亡灵书》古埃及丧葬文集，以咒语、魔法出名。石棺盖上测装饰3列象形文字，写的是《亡灵书》第178章祭拜仪式，其中摘录更古老的金字塔文本，当时人们认为能对亡者在来生提供指南与保护力。
石棺还刻有古埃及神话伊西斯（Isis）、柰芙蒂斯（Nephthys）女神的图案，并附上对于亡者具有保护力量的文字；西方女神伊门特（Imentet）则是欢迎亡者跨越地府的古埃及神明。考古学家说，整座坟墓的魔咒文字意义深远，目的在于确保亡者安全顺利进入来世。
阿布西尔遗址以广大古墓群与金字塔群文明，整体历史可追溯到公元前2686至公元前2181年之间的古王国时期。
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