Ancient Egyptian statue of 'Messi' found at Saqqara necropolis is 'only known example of its kind from the Old Kingdom'

An "unparalleled" funerary statue of an ancient Egyptian man whose name may be Messi has been discovered at the Saqqara necropolis — and it shows him standing with what appears to be his tiny wife and even tinier daughter, who is holding a goose.

Measuring just over 40 inches (103 centimeters) tall and carved out of limestone, "the most prominent figure depicted is that of a nobleman standing tall with an advancing left foot representing youth, vitality and strength," researchers wrote in a study published May 13 in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.

The statue also depicts "a woman, his presumed wife, on a smaller scale kneeling and holding on to his right leg," and behind his left leg there is "a representation of a girl, presumably his daughter," the researchers wrote in the study. The girl clutches a goose in her left hand, which "opens its beak in a visual representation of a goose honk."

Archaeologists found the statue in 2021 at the site of Saqqara, a vast necropolis where the ancient Egyptians buried their dead for thousands of years. It has no inscriptions, but based on its design, the statue appears to date to the fifth dynasty (circa 2465 to 2323 B.C.), a time when pyramids were being built in Egypt. (The last royal pyramid was built by King Ahmose I, who reigned from 1550 to 1525 B.C. After that, Egyptian royals were buried at the Valley of the Kings near ancient Thebes.)

"I found the statue hidden under the sand, and nearby was a false door inscribed with the name 'Messi,'" Zahi Hawass, a former antiquities minister and senior author of the paper, told Live Science in an email. False doors are commonly found in Egyptian tombs, and the Egyptians believed that the spirit of the deceased could enter and exit the tomb through them. "Messi" could refer to the name of the nobleman.

The statue may symbolize "a connection with family, suggesting that they will reunite in the afterlife, as they did in life," Hawass said. The "scene depicting the daughter with a goose reflects daily life, serving a similar function to that of scenes usually seen on tomb walls," Hawass added.

As for Messi's large size compared with the woman and girl, size often equaled importance in ancient Egyptian artwork. For instance, royalty and tomb owners were often shown to be larger than those around them.

"Unparalleled" discovery

"The discovery of this statue is unparalleled in the field of Egyptian art," said Hawass, who co-authored the study with Sarah Abdoh, the head of the Department of Sculpture, Architectural Formation, and Restoration at Benha University in Egypt. It "stands apart from other known family statues of the Old Kingdom, as all figures are carved in full three-dimensionality, with the exception of the daughter, who is presented in high relief.

"This striking artistic choice positions the statue as the only known example of its kind from the Old Kingdom," Hawass said, adding that it was unusual for an Egyptian statue from this time to have the three-dimensional representation combined with a high-relief depiction.

"By integrating two sculptural traditions within a single monument, the artist exhibited a remarkable spirit of experimentation," Hawass said. "Thus, this statue emerges as a unique masterpiece of innovation, reshaping our understanding of Old Kingdom Egyptian art."

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