SAKKARA DOCTOR TOMB UNEARTHED

Five restored bronze statues, 2500-years old, of Gods and Goddesses are displayed in Cairo November 6, 2001. The statues were found in a recently discovered tomb near Sakkara pyramids. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest ancient Egyptian tomb belonging to a doctor in Sakkara near Cairo, which will give scholars an insight on ancient medical advances.   Photo by  Aladin Abdel Naby

SAKKARA, Egypt - Archaeologists sifting through the desert sands near Cairo have discovered the oldest-known tomb of a pharaonic surgeon, dating back more than 4,000 years, a top Egyptian antiquities official said on Tuesday, November 6, 2001.

``For the first time, a discovery has been made of a doctor's tomb dating back to approximately 4,200 years,'' said Zahi Hawass, an antiquities chief in the Giza pyramids area.

``We found 30 surgical tools (inside the tomb) used by the ancient Egyptian doctor,'' at the site in Sakkara, near the Egyptian capital.

Zahi Hawass said,  "the grave of Skar, the chief physician of one of Egypt's Fifth Dynasty rulers, contained bronze medical implements such as scalpels, needles and a type of spoon. Hawass mentioned that the discovery would help scholars gain new insights into ancient medical techniques.

``Inside, this tomb has a number of beautiful scenes (on the walls) revealing the daily life (of the Fifth Dynasty) ... colored in beautiful colors that are special to the Sakkara area,'' Hawass said.

Hawass mentioned that archaeologists also found an alabaster altar and 22 statues of different gods and goddesses inside the tomb.

Five restored bronze statues, 2,500-years old, of Gods and Goddesses displayed near Cairo, November 6, 2001. The statues were found in a recently discovered tomb near Sakkara pyramids. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest ancient Egyptian tomb belonging to a doctor in Sakkara near Cairo, which will give scholars an insight on ancient medical advances. Photo by  Aladin Abdel Naby

A 4000-year-old replica of an alabaster offering table is displayed November 6, 2001 after it was unearthed from a recently discovered tomb near the Sakkara pyramids. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest ancient Egyptian tomb belonging to a doctor in Sakkara near Cairo, which will give scholars an insight on ancient medical advances. The inscriptions on the table shows all the food items the doctor ate in his life time. Photo by  Aladin Abdel Naby

Ayman Gamal, an Egyptian antiquities expert dusts an ancient marble plate, about 4,200-years-old, November 6, 2001. The plate was found in a newly discovered tomb near Sakkara pyramids. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest ancient Egyptian tomb belonging to a doctor in Sakkara near Cairo, which will give scholars an insight on ancient medical advances. Photo by  Aladin Abdel Naby