• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Anthropology

Unknown Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb uncovered in Abydos

by Dario Radley
March 27, 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed a Second Intermediate Period royal tomb (c. 1640–1540 BCE) in the Mount Anubis necropolis of Abydos in Egypt. The discovery, by an Egyptian-American team directed by Professor Josef Wegner of the University of Pennsylvania, is an advancement in studies on the so-called Abydos Dynasty. However, though the design and inscriptions of the tomb indicate that it must have belonged to a king from this period, the king’s name is unknown because of damage inflicted by ancient robbers.

Unknown Egyptian pharaoh's tomb uncovered in Abydos
The 3,600-year-old tomb of the unknown Egyptian king. Credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

The tomb, buried about 23 feet (7 meters) beneath the earth, is a limestone burial chamber with mudbrick vault linings. The structure originally stood about 16 feet (5 meters) high and is larger than other tombs from this period. The entrance inscriptions depict the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, who were normally associated with funerary rites, but the hieroglyphic inscriptions that originally bore the king’s name have been damaged, and identification is difficult.

One of the less documented periods of Egyptian history is the Abydos Dynasty, the ruling power of Upper Egypt when the Hyksos controlled the north. The style and location of the tomb resemble that of King Senebkay’s, whose tomb was discovered in Abydos in 2014. Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, thinks that the newly discovered tomb might have belonged to one of Senebkay’s predecessors. The candidates are kings Senaiib and Paentjeni, who are known to have erected monuments in Abydos.

Unknown Egyptian pharaoh's tomb uncovered in Abydos
The tomb is a limestone burial chamber with mudbrick vault linings. Credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Unfortunately, the tomb was heavily looted during ancient times. Robbers took away all the treasures, including the mummy and sarcophagus of the king, leaving little for archaeologists to discover about his identity. The recess where canopic jars were meant to be placed was also empty. Tomb looting in the region has been documented as far back as the Roman period, when people invaded burial sites to extract valuable limestone, granite, and quartzite.

Unknown Egyptian pharaoh's tomb uncovered in Abydos
Ostraca with Demotic script inscriptions. Credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Besides the royal tomb, another significant discovery was made in Banawit village, north of Abydos. Egyptians from the Supreme Council of Antiquities unearthed a workshop for Roman-era pottery and glass, which shed light on Egypt’s industrial history during the Roman period (30 BCE–642 CE). The workshop contained a number of kilns and storage areas, and 32 ostraca—fragments of pottery inscribed with Greek and Demotic texts that documented commercial transactions and tax payments.

RelatedStories

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

July 15, 2025
Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

July 10, 2025

It was likely one of the biggest production centers that provided glass and pottery for the Ninth District, said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The site appears to have been reused in the 14th century CE as a burial ground with graves. Among the burials were mudbrick tombs containing mummies and skeletons, including the remains of a child wearing a fabric cap and the skull of a woman who was approximately 30 years old. The presence of wheat roots, palm seeds, and barley indicates connections between agricultural practices and burial traditions in the Sohag region.

Unknown Egyptian pharaoh's tomb uncovered in Abydos
Among the burials were mudbrick tombs containing mummies and skeletons, including the remains of a child wearing a fabric cap. Credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

The new find substantiates the idea that there are still many untold tales of ancient Egypt’s fragmented past. Even in the absence of a mummy, the architectural patterns and inscriptions in the newly found tomb are valuable for indicating the evolution of royal burials in Abydos.

The team plans to excavate deeper in hopes of unearthing additional tombs—perhaps even one that remains intact.

More information: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Share5Tweet3Share1ShareSend

You May Also Like...

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney
Archaeology

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

July 30, 2025
Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa's Duke monument in Ukraine. Credit: Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University
Archaeology

Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa’s Duke monument in Ukraine

July 29, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory
Anthropology

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025
5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat
Archaeology

5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

July 28, 2025
250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney identified as Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy and whaling vessel
Archaeology

250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney identified as Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy and whaling vessel

July 28, 2025
AI tool helps scholars restore and decode ancient Roman inscriptions with missing words
Archaeology

AI tool helps scholars restore and decode ancient Roman inscriptions with missing words

July 27, 2025

Comments 0

  1. Editorial Team says:
    56 years ago
    Disclaimer: This website is a science-focused magazine that welcomes both academic and non-academic audiences. Comments are written by users and may include personal opinions or unverified claims. They do not necessarily reflect the views of our editorial team or rely on scientific evidence.
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow us


Instagram
246K

Facebook
112K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
13K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

July 21, 2025
Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore, study finds

Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore

July 3, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

July 30, 2025
Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa's Duke monument in Ukraine. Credit: Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University

Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa’s Duke monument in Ukraine

July 29, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025
5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

July 28, 2025
250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney identified as Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy and whaling vessel

250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney identified as Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy and whaling vessel

July 28, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved