Archaeologists have unearthed the tomb of an unknown Egyptian pharaoh who ruled 3,600 years ago at the ancient Mount Anubis necropolis in Abydos.
The royal burial site, discovered after more than three and a half millennia, provides new evidence of tomb development at the historic necropolis.
The mystery pharaoh ruled during a time of political instability in the region.
The tomb was found at a depth of around 7 metres underground and consists of a limestone burial chamber covered with mudbrick vaults.
The royal burial site was uncovered
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
The burial chamber was originally approximately 5 metres high, making it much larger than previously known mausoleums attributed to the Abydos Dynasty.
Abydos is one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, dating back to kings who ruled Upper Egypt between 1700 and 1600 BC.
Archaeologists found faded inscriptions on either side of the entrance to the burial chamber, including images of goddesses Isis and Nephthys.
"The king's name was originally recorded in painted scenes on plastered brickwork that decorated the underground entrance to the limestone burial chamber," said Josef Wegner, who led the excavation team.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
He continued: "However, the hieroglyphic texts were damaged by ancient tomb robbers and not enough survives to read the king's name."
The tomb dates to the "Second Intermediate Period" (circa 1640 to 1540 BC), when northern Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos whilst southern regions were controlled by multiple Egyptian kings.
Abydos, located in central Egypt, would have been under the authority of an Egyptian king during this tumultuous period. Anna-Latifa Mourad-Cizek, not involved in the excavation, called the discovery "highly significant".
Grave robbers sacked the tomb in ancient times, leaving no remains of the king's mummy or sarcophagus behind. Archaeologists are continuing to investigate the area where the tomb was found.
The archaeological site of Abydos near Egypt's southern city of Sohag
Getty
"The area may yield more royal tombs of the same era which could shed light on identity and ownership of this new royal tomb," Wegner told Live Science. In addition to the royal tomb, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a pottery and glass workshop at Banawit, a village north of Abydos.
The workshop dates to the Roman era when Egypt was under imperial control (30 BC to AD 642). The site contained numerous kilns along with extensive storage areas for vessels.
Evidence suggests it was one of the largest factories supplying the ancient Egyptian region with pottery and glass.
Within the workshop, archaeologists discovered 32 ostraca - writing on pottery shards - that discuss commercial transactions and tax payment methods. These ancient records were written in both Greek and Demotic, an Egyptian script.
Several burials were also found at Banawit, including mudbrick tombs containing skeletons and mummies, likely family graves.
