In brief
Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery at an ancient Egyptian necropolis, revealing the tomb of a previously unknown pharaoh. This significant find, announced by a team of Egyptian and American archaeologists on Thursday, marks the second royal tomb discovery this year. The newly unearthed tomb, believed to date back around 3,600 years, lies approximately 23 feet underground in Abydos, an ancient city located about 300 miles south of Cairo. Renowned as a burial site for early pharaohs, Abydos holds great significance and was a popular pilgrimage destination in antiquity.
The tomb was discovered at the base of a towering desert cliff at Anubis Mountain, an area where strong winds have deposited layers of sand, sometimes burying existing structures as deep as 19 feet. The burial chamber of this tomb features an intricately decorated entry, several adjoining rooms, and impressive 16-foot high vaults constructed from mud bricks. This monumental find surpasses a similar discovery made at Abydos over a decade ago, which had previously indicated the existence of a "lost" dynasty of kings.Josef W. Wegner, a curator at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia and the lead archaeologist on the American team, expressed his enthusiasm about the find, stating, “It’s a new chapter in investigating this dynasty,” during an interview on Wednesday. This discovery is expected to provide new insights into the governance and culture of ancient Egypt during the time of the unknown pharaoh's reign.
