Monday 6 January 2014

Royal tomb discovered at Abydos!

This should reopen the Abydos/Sakkara cenetaph v burial debate. Evidence of a royal burial there has implications for the importance of this site.

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim announced today the discovery of King Sobekhotep (1786-1763) who is probably the first King of the 13th Dynasty.

The tomb discovered by Pennsylvania University mission working south of Abydos, Sohag.

The Minister said that the first evidence that led to this discovery was when the huge quartzite sarcophagi of 60 tons was found in 2013, then last week, parts of tablet was found depicting the name of the King and shows him sitting on his throne.

Also parts of canonic jars and funerary objects were found.

The Minister also emphasised on the tight security around the tomb till excavations are finished and the tomb restored to be open to public as a part of the ministry efforts to open new sites to encourage tourists to come to Egypt.
This little exchange I just caught on Facebook indicates the implications


  • Steve Harvey Needless to say, one might also reconsider the status of the Senwosret III and Ahmose tombs at Abydos...
  • Aidan Dodson As you know, I'm now very much of the view that the SIII and AI tombs were 'real' ones, although Ahmose may have been evacuated to Thebes a few year later .....
  • Steve Harvey Interesting! This discovery is certainly going to force us all to have a hard think! I'm eager to hear more evidence regarding a pyramidal superstructure.

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