A global group of archaeologists has uncovered a large burial chamber that once belonged to one of ancient Egypt The first pharaohs of Egypt remain some of history's most enigmatic rulers. Nevertheless, their identities continue to elude us—much like numerous aspects of his ancient and forgotten lineage.
The existence of an The Abydos Dynasty was first verified in 2014. Following the discovery of King Seneb-Kay’s burial chamber, archaeologists unearthed another more recent crypt in January. This newly found structure is believed to have been built sometime between 1640-1540 BCE, during the Second Intermediate Period—a time marked by significant political upheaval and economic difficulties that fragmented Egypt into several competing states for a period.
The tomb was discovered at the foot of a desert cliff approximately 23 feet below Abydos, an ancient city in Egypt located around 300 miles south of Cairo and nearly six miles away from the Nile River. Ancient Egyptian mythology maintained that Abydos was the site where Osiris, the god of the underworld, was buried. Numerous historical records indicate this belief. earliest pharaohs Also opted to be buried within an extensive royal burial ground close to Mount Anubis.
The group of scholars from the Penn Museum in Philadelphia collaborating with archaeologists from the Egyptian Department of Tourism and Antiquities The researchers employed tools such as magnetometry, photogrammetry, and remote sensing to chart the extensive necropolis. Preliminary digging has uncovered structural and ornamental parallels with the tomb of Seneb-Kay, prompting scholars to hypothesize that this site might have been owned by an earlier figure. However, crucial specifics like his identity remain unknown to the archaeologists. ]
"The monarch's name was initially inscribed in colored scenes on plaster-coated bricks that adorned the entryway to the limestone funerary chamber," explained Josef Wegner, who curates the Egyptian section at Penn Museum and serves as a professor of Egyptian archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. stated in the museum’s announcement on March 27.
The painted images feature representations of the goddesses Isis and her sibling Nephthys, along with hieroglyphic inscriptions on golden stripes. Nonetheless, according to Wegner, it seems that old tomb raiders inflicted damage upon these writings when they ventured into the burial site.
Several possible candidates could be the owner of this tomb. Specifically, two monarchs named Senaiib and Paentjeni have constructed memorial sites within Abydos; however, their burial places have not been found yet. The details extracted from the tomb further verify the presence of additional early pharaohs in the nearby area.
The excavation efforts will proceed throughout 2025, largely focusing on the newly designated zone at Anubis Mountain, which covers more than 100,000 square feet. This find, known as the Adybos, represents the second royal Egyptian burial site discovered this year. Archaeologists verified the position of another such tomb back in February. Thutmose II’s crypt , representing one of the most significant ancient Egyptian findings since the discovery of King Tutankhamun in 1922.