Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed the largest tomb yet discovered in the ancient Saqqara necropolis, antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said. One of two tombs found, which were carved out of stone, consists of a vast chamber that branches off into many alcoves. One alcove contained skeletons and pottery, and led to another chamber with a seven-metre-deep well.

According to Z. Hawass the Serapeum will be opend in December.

An article by S. Hawass concerning the restauration of the Serapeum. When all the work is complete, the Serapeum will be opened to the public again.

While performing routine conservation work at the southern side of Saqqara’s step pyramid a large quantity of golden fragments have been found. Thirty granite blocks were also discovered, each weighing five tons. These blocks, Dr. Hawass explained, belonged to the granite sarcophagus that once housed Djoser’s wooden sarcophagus.

The tomb complex includes the base of a pyramid, a monumental gateway, a colonnaded courtyard, and an antechamber with three cult chapels, according to the team from Japan's Waseda University that has been excavating the site since 1991. Hieroglyphics on a sarcophagus in the tomb identify Isisnofret as a spst, or noblewoman—an honorific reserved for women of the royal family or of otherwise exceptional status.

During routine excavations at northwest Saqqara, an archaeological mission from Japan’s Waseda University discovered a previously unknown tomb dating to the 19th Dynasty. It lies near the tomb of Khaemwaset, a son of Ramesses II. The mission unearthed a limestone sarcophagus belonging to a noblewoman named Isisnofret, along with three human bodies and several fragmentary funerary objects.

Japanese archaeologists working in Egypt have found four wooden sarcophagi and associated grave goods which could date back up to 3,300 years, the Egyptian government said on Thursday. The sarcophagi did not contain mummies because the tomb was robbed in ancient times but have the original black and yellow paintwork showing ancient Egyptian gods, it said.

There are lots of reports, fotos and videos about the opening of the sarcophagi found recently at Saqqara:
http://tinyurl.com/b6va9h
http://tinyurl.com/clwzcl
http://tinyurl.com/c9xlhp
http://tinyurl.com/bj5b24

Egyptian archaeologists say they have discovered 30 mummies inside a 2,600-year-old tomb, in the latest round of excavations at the vast necropolis of Saqqara south of Cairo. Egypt's chief archeologist, Zahi Hawas, says the new tomb was found Sunday at the bottom of an 11-meter deep well. Eight of the mummies were in sarcophagi and the rest had been placed in niches in the wall. See also: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/6253732.html (with picture)

The newly-found tombs of King Unas's favourite singer and the supervisor of his exploration missions at the Saqqara necropolis reveal new burial patterns.