Royal tomb of mysterious pharaoh is discovered in Egypt after 3,700 years

The Abydos Dynasty was one of the most mysterious dynasties spanning the whole of ancient Egypt.

Centered around Abydos, one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, this ruling faction governed Upper Egypt between 1700 and 1600 BC. 

Now, archeologists claim to have found the resting place of one of only a handful of the dynasty’s kings, after around 3,700 years. 

The royal tomb, located at the sacred Mountain of Anubis near Abydos, carries inscriptions worthy of a pharaoh – but no mummified body. 

It comes over a decade after experts found the resting place of King Senebkay, but this newly-found king likely ruled just before him. 

‘The royal tomb in Abydos provides new scientific evidence on the development of royal tombs in the Anubis Mountain necropolis,’ said Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. 

‘This discovery also adds new information about the kings of this dynasty and a deeper understanding of the complex political history of the Second Intermediate Period in Egypt.’ 

As well as the tomb, experts have also found a separate ‘pottery workshop’ in the village of Banawit, evidenced by fragments of artefacts. 

The astonishing tomb was discovered by an Egyptian-American archaeological mission from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. 

It was built at the foot of a sacred hill resembling a pyramid in the Abydene desert, called Mountain of Anubis by the ancient Egyptians. 

Located at a depth of 23 feet (7 metres) below ground level, the tomb consists of a limestone burial chamber covered with a self-supporting arches known as ‘vaults’.

These vaults, reaching a height of about 16 feet (5 metres), were constructed out of ‘mudbrick’ – sun‐dried blocks of clay-rich soil. 

Aside from its location at the sacred Mountain of Anubis, initial evidence points to a resting place of an important and historically relevant figure. 

For example, inscriptions on both sides of the tomb entrance mention the ancient Egyptian goddesses Isis and Nephthys. 

Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy. 

Nephthys is a protective goddess who symbolizes the death experience, just as Isis represented the birth experience. 

Studies conducted on the royal tomb in Abydos indicate that it belonged to one of the kings prior to King Senebkay, whose tomb was discovered in Abydos by the mission in 2014

The royal tomb was found at a depth of about 7 meters below ground level. It consists of a limestone burial chamber covered with mudbrick vaults. Pictured, the burial chamber

It was built at the foot of a sacred hill resembling a pyramid in the Abydene desert, called Mountain of Anubis (pictured)

Oval-shaped marks called cartouches also likely once bore the king’s name in hieroglyphs, but these are now lost to history.

Studies conducted on the royal tomb indicate that it belonged to one of the kings prior to King Senebkay, whose tomb was discovered in Abydos in 2014. 

The sacred city of Abydos is located west of the Nile and was once a cemetery for Egyptian royalty as well as a popular pilgrimage site where people journeyed to worship the god Osiris. 

Temples, royal boat pits and the tombs of kings have previously been unearthed by archaeologists who have been excavating the site over several decades. 

This newly-found tomb is much larger than other previously known tombs attributed to the Abydos Dynasty, but the name of the tomb’s owner has not been determined. 

‘This tomb provides fresh evidence of royal burial practices in the region and offers a deeper understanding of the complex political landscape of that era,’ said Dr Khaled.

Researchers also announced the discovery of a complete Roman-era pottery workshop in the village of Banawit further north. 

This workshop was one of the largest manufacturing centers supplying the Ninth Nome of Upper Egypt area with pottery and glass. 

Researchers also announced the discovery of a complete Roman-era pottery workshop in the village of Banawit further north. Pictured, ostraca found at the site with Demotic script inscriptions

Pictured, Amphora found at Banawit. This style of storage vessel typical of the ancient world with a large oval body, narrow cylindrical neck and two handles

This historic pottery shard found at Banawit shows some kind of bird ‘relief’ – where figures or designs are raised from a flat background

It contained a large number of kilns, extensive storage areas for vessels, and a collection of 32 ostraca (pottery fragments) bearing inscriptions. 

These ostraca, written in Demotic and Greek scripts, are detailing commercial transactions at the time and the method of paying taxes. 

‘The pottery workshop highlights Egypt’s thriving industry during the Roman period,’ said Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in a statement. 

Together, the two discoveries showcase the ‘incredible diversity of Egypt’s tourism and ancient civilization’, it added. 

The fact the tomb dates back to the Abydos Dynasty also gives further credence to the short-lived and hypothesised rule. 

In fact, so little is know about Abydos Dynasty that some experts contest it even existed.