Pyramid of an unknown Egyptian queen with many mummies in the tomb close to King Tut's tomb. For the past 100 years, archeologists have uncovered many tombs in Giza, but this one is of profound interest.
Egyptian Queen Discovered Close to King Tut's Tomb
It was never expected that close to Tutankhamun's tomb would be a pyramid that housed an ancient queen of Egypt. This find came with coffins, mummies, relics, and tunnels linked together, reported Live Science.
In the last two years, archeologists at Saqqara were at a dig site in the Giza area, about 20 miles from Cairo. A while back, the researchers could locate coffins and mummies owned by Tutankhamun's generals who were close to him. The boy King's reign, was from 1333 B.C. until he died in 1323 B.C.
Scholars working there would study a nearby pyramid owned by Teti, the first ruler of Egypt's 6th dynasty.As the pharaoh was revered as a god during the New Kingdom period, many wanted their tombs close to him, according to Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist on the digs and ex-Egypt's Minister of Antiquities.
He said in an email that the bulk of the Saqqara burials, including countless mummies previously identified, arose from either the Old Kingdom or the Late Period.
A total of 22 shafts were linked together; about 30 to 60 feet, with the New Kingdom burials; which include an unknown Egyptian queen, found close to King Tut's tomb.
This period, called the Egyptian empire or the New Kingdom, will be from the sixth century B.C. to the 11th century B.C., said the source.
Inside one of these secret shafts where they discovered a huge limestone sarcophagus with 300 ornate coffins from this period, he added. The coffins were all unique, with different faces, showing both men and women, including scenes from theBook of the Dead (ancient funerary text).
All the coffins have the name of the dead, with the four sons of Horus. They defend the stored organs of the mummies present. All these sarcophagi were a bonus for the scholars, but a surprise was in store. When the coffins were opened, the mummified bodies were in a good preservative state for several thousand years.
Countless Mummies in the Tomb
Hawass remarked that the art of mummification reached its apex in the New Kingdom. A few sarcophagi have dual lids, and an ornate coffin had a mask of a woman made of solid gold, citing Vervetimes.
Several relics were found in the coffins and tomb shaft; they were games like ancient Senet, Shabtis, mini figurines, and even statues of the god Ptah-Sokar, or the metal axe of an Egyptian soldier. Most exceptional is a pyramid celebrating a female ruler that was unknown until this unearthing.
Scholars say her name is Neith, and until now, she has not been part of Egypt's ancient history, said Hawass. Including her name will rewrite what is known of the past and add to records.
A few coffins from the site will be seen in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza next year. With her coterie of countless mummies close to King Tut's tomb, the unknown Egyptian Queen Neith opens a new chapter in Egypt's ancient history.
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