The common archaeological efforts of the Egyptian experts and a team at the University of Pennsylvania led to an innovative discovery in the Gebel Anubis necropolis, located in the governor Sohag, southern Egypt.
The excavations revealed a royal tomb dating from the so-called second intermediate period, a period of political fragmentation in ancient Egypt.
This significant discovery offers a new perspective on the so-called “Abydos dynasty”, an enigmatic royal faction that led Egypt from above between 1700 and 1600 BC, separated from the traditional line of pharaohs.
Over the years, the existence of the Abydos dynasty has been the subject of debates among the researchers, due to the lack of conclusive historical evidence. However, more and more archaeological discoveries, including the recent royal tomb, strengthen the arguments regarding the legitimacy of this dynasty.
The Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA), Mohamed Ismail Khaled, stressed that this tomb provides important information about the Royal Funeral Practices in Abydos and contributes to a better understanding of the political landscape of Egypt during the transition period between 1700 and 1550 BC. This was an era in which the Abydos dynasty coexisted with the 15th and 16th dynasties, considered “officially recognized” on the basis of their genealogy.
Archaeologists believe that the recently discovered tomb could belong to an early leader of the Abydos dynasty, possibly to a predecessor of King Senebkay. Senebkay’s tomb, discovered in Abydos in 2014, is considered the clearest proof of the existence of this dynasty. Finding a tomb belonging to a king before it would provide additional evidence about the place of this dynasty in the history of Egypt.
In order to reach the place of burial, the team of archaeologists had to dig seven meters below the ground level. The grave itself is made up of a funeral chamber of limestone, covered by clay brick vaults, which initially had a height of five meters. On the walls of the funeral chamber, engravings representing the gods of ISIS and Nephthys fall in the entrance, and the hieroglyphic inscriptions contain the name of the buried king.
The leader of the excavation team, Joseph Wegner, mentioned that, although the exact identity of the owner of the tomb remains uncertain, the ongoing analysis will help to establish a clearer chronological context, which could eventually lead to the king’s identification.
Abydos, located in the south of Egypt, 11 kilometers west of Nile, is one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt and has been worshiped as a religious and funeral place for thousands of years. He was chosen as a place of burial for pharaohs starting with the first dynasty, which means that it has been used for this purpose for 5,000 years ago. The city continued to be an important center of royal funerals throughout the history of Egypt.
One of the most remarkable features of Abydos is the royal necropolis known as UMM El-QA’ab. Many of the first pharaohs were buried there, and over time this place has gained great religious importance. His connection with the Divine leaders made Abydos a place of burial desired by many generations, strengthening his role as a major cult center in ancient Egypt.
Today, Abydos is known mainly for his impressive memorial temple, built in honor of Pharaoh Seti I. In this temple there is the famous list of the kings of Abydos – a chronological recording that presents the cartridges of the majority of Egyptian leaders, from Menes to the father of Seti I, Rameses I. Ancient Aramae, known as graffiti in Abydos, which provides valuable information about cultural interactions in antiquity.
The necropolis Gebel Anubis, where the recent tomb was discovered, is a place of special historical importance. It is dominated by a natural mountain with a pyramidal form, which inspired the Pharaoh Senusret III (who reigned between 1874 and 1855 BC) to build a huge tomb under his peak. The tradition of royal funerals in this area continued until the 13th dynasty, and the leaders of the Abydos dynasty also chose to be buried deep in the desert, near this sacred mountain.
