Saqarra, one of the most important necropolises in Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt, contains the tombs of Egyptian royalty and noblemen. The earliest burials date back roughly 4,300 years, and the site includes burials from the very first two dynasties (c.3040–2686 BCE).
In 2023, archeologists from the Swiss-French Mission Archéologique Franco-Suisse de Saqqâra (MAFS) uncovered a series of smaller burials near an ancient Egyptian tomb. Among them was a remarkably well-preserved “kiln” tomb, also known as an “oven” tomb, built from mud bricks with a vaulted ceiling.
Typically, these tombs are simple and often looted over time, leaving them empty or undecorated. However, MAFS researchers were surprised to discover that this burial belonged to a doctor named Tetinebefou, who was identified from a stone tablet near the entrance.
Though the tomb itself had been plundered over time—leaving no human remains or physical artifacts for analysis—researchers were astonished to find exquisite wall paintings still vibrant with color despite being over 4,000 years old. These paintings, depicting a variety of containers, colorful abstract images, and geometric patterns, combined with hieroglyphic inscriptions on the walls, made it possible for researchers to determine Tetinebefou’s roles in ancient Egyptian society.
Egyptologist and lead researcher Philippe Collombert told Live Science that among Tetinebefou’s highly uncommon titles—one of which has only been found in one other ancient Egyptian discovery—were “director of medicinal plants” and “chief dentist.” He was also regarded as “a specialist in poisonous bites,” based on inscriptions that identified him as the “conjurer of the goddess Serqet,” the Egyptian goddess of healing venomous stings and bites.
According to Collombert, Tetinebefou’s titles indicate that he held the highest positions in his field. “He was certainly the main physician at the royal court, so he would have treated the pharaoh himself,” Collombert says.
It’s unclear which pharaoh Tetinebefou served, but Collombert suggests he may have worked under Pepi II, a pharaoh of Egypt’s Old Kingdom and the Sixth Dynasty. Pepi II’s reign is estimated to have lasted an exceptionally long time—somewhere between 60 and 94 years, from around 2246 to 2152 BCE—beginning when he was reportedly just 6 years old. Over this lengthy reign, the government weakened due to both internal and external troubles. After his death, Pepi II, like his physician, was buried in Saqqara, but entombed in a pyramid—the final full pyramid complex to be built in ancient Egypt.
In Saqqara, archeologists uncovered a kiln tomb belonging to the ancient Egyptian physician Tetinebefou.
Researchers suggest Tetinebefou may have worked under Pepi II, pharaoh of Egypt’s Old Kingdom and the Sixth Dynasty.
Sources: Visite surprise d’un médecin; 4,100-year-old tomb of doctor who treated pharaohs discovered at Saqqara
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