(ORDO NEWS) — Despite the fact that most of the tombs of Ancient Egypt were found or plundered by the beginning of the twentieth century, to this day, archaeologists make amazing finds. Often, riddles that have arisen over several millennia due to the loss of information can only be solved thanks to modern science.
The unusual find was made last year in Dakhshur, in the royal necropolis located in the desert on the western bank of the Nile, about 40 kilometers from Cairo. Among the artifacts and relics found inside the tomb, archaeologists have discovered a sarcophagus, which was initially believed to belong to the pharaoh, given the fact that it was placed inside the pyramid, since the pyramidal burials were intended specifically for the rulers.
Researchers led by Egyptologist Dr. Yasmin El-Shazli collected many pieces of wood that were scattered throughout the burial chamber. When the “puzzle” was folded, it turned out to be a sarcophagus lid with a bas-relief in the shape of a face. “The tops of sarcophagi often had features similar to those of the wearer,” comments Dr. Shanley.
The researchers got down to work, fully confident that the pharaoh’s mummy was in the sarcophagus. However, it turned out that this is not the case. In fact, the mummy of an unknown woman was in the royal tomb.
Dr. Shazli explained that the lid of the sarcophagus had a depiction of a man wearing a Hathor wig, a garment popular in the Middle Kingdom and worn only by women. Next to the sarcophagus in the tomb, a chest was found covered with hieroglyphs, which the researchers hoped would help them learn more about her personality.
However, the place in the inscription where the woman’s name should have been has practically not survived. But the archeologists were able to read that she was the “daughter of the king.” However, her name, as well as the reason why she was buried in the royal tomb, still remain a mystery.
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