05 January 2015

Ancient history for the day


The BBC has an article about a previously unknown tomb in Egypt:
Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed the tomb of a previously unknown queen, Egyptian officials say. The tomb was found in Abu-Sir, south-west of Cairo, and is thought to belong to the wife or mother of Pharaoh Neferefre, who ruled 4,500 years ago.
Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said that her name, Khentakawess, had been found inscribed on a wall in the necropolis. Damaty added that this would make her Khentakawess III. The tomb was discovered in Pharaoh Neferefre's funeral complex.
About thirty vessels were found at the tomb, and the name of the queen was found inscribed on a wall.
Miroslav Barta, head of the mission from the Czech Institute of Egyptology which made the discovery, said that the location of the queen's tomb made them believe that she was the wife of the pharaoh. The Czech archaeologists also found about thirty utensils made of limestone and copper. Damaty explained that the discovery would "help us shed light on certain unknown aspects of the Fifth Dynasty, which, along with the Fourth Dynasty, witnessed the construction of the first pyramids."
Abu-Sir was used as an Old Kingdom cemetery for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis.
Rico says nothing like an old, dead queen to stir the imagination...

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