George Reisner excavated 77 tombs beneath an ancient dump at the Wadi Cemetery near the Great Pyramid in 1904, dating to late 3rd or early 4th dynasty—before Khufu's pyramid project. He documented 243 photographs. Reisner believed Giza served as a secondary necropolis to Meidum, Dashur and Saqqara before becoming Egypt's premier monument site.
Wadi Cemetery: 77 Pre-Khufu Tombs Discovered at Giza
Site mentioned
📍 Wadi Cemetery
Key facts
- Excavated in 1904 by George Reisner
- 77 ancient tombs discovered beneath an ancient dump dating to early Khufu's reign
- 243 photographs taken but limited excavation work done
- Believed to date from late 3rd to early 4th dynasty, possibly older
- Reisner believed Giza was already used as a necropolis before Khufu
- Site was secondary to Maidan, Dashur, and Saqqara before Khufu's project
Sources
archaeopress.com
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