New discovery in Abydos unveils monumental tomb, unraveling Egypt’s lost history

Proceeding from a latest article, CNN unveils that archaeologists have uncovered a monumental limestone burial chamber in Abydos, Egypt, shedding new light on a long-lost chapter of Egyptian history. 

The tomb, discovered in January, is believed to date back over 3,600 years and was part of the enigmatic Abydos Dynasty, a ruling lineage that has largely eluded historical records.

The burial chamber, which features multiple rooms and an intricately decorated entryway, remains a mystery, as graverobbers had damaged the hieroglyphic texts that could have identified the tomb's original occupant. Despite this, researchers speculate that the tomb may belong to a king from the Second Intermediate Period, a time of political fragmentation in Egypt. This period, spanning from 1640 to 1540 BC, is marked by the rule of the Abydos Dynasty, one of the least understood dynasties of ancient Egypt.

“This mystery tomb … opens a new kind of avenue of investigation (into the Abydos Dynasty),” said Josef Wegner, an Egyptologist from the University of Pennsylvania who led the excavation.

The newly discovered tomb is the largest of its kind within the Abydos Dynasty and offers critical insight into the era’s burial practices. It was found 23 feet below ground in Abydos' "city of the dead," a sacred necropolis near Anubis Mountain. This area was known for housing the tombs of Egypt's early pharaohs, including Osiris, the god of the underworld.

While the identity of the tomb's owner remains uncertain, archaeologists believe it may belong to a king like Senaiib or Paentjeni, two rulers from the Abydos Dynasty. Wegner and his team plan to continue their exploration using advanced ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry to uncover more tombs in the area. “There could easily be 12 or 15 kings that compose this group of kings,” Wegner said.

This discovery adds to the growing understanding of this obscure period in Egyptian history and may provide valuable context for the ancient rulers often omitted from historical records.

By Naila Huseynova