Two major discoveries in Egypt’s Sohag Governorate have unearthed captivating insights into ancient civilizations. A collaborative effort by an Egyptian-American team from the University of Pennsylvania has unveiled a royal tomb from the Second Intermediate Period, nestled within the historic Gebel Anubis necropolis at Abydos.
This tomb, likely linked to Egypt’s lesser-known “Abydos Dynasty,” provides fresh evidence of the political and cultural dynamics between 1700 and 1600 BCE in Upper Egypt. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), emphasized the tomb’s significance in enhancing our understanding of royal burials and the Second Intermediate Period’s political landscape.
Discovered seven meters underground, the tomb features an intricately designed limestone burial chamber. Its walls, adorned with depictions of goddesses Isis and Nephthys, once bore hieroglyphic inscriptions that may reveal the tomb’s royal occupant—a predecessor to King Senebkay, whose burial was uncovered in Abydos in 2014.
Joseph Wegner, leading the excavation, highlighted the ongoing efforts to determine the tomb’s precise dating and the identity of its owner. Abydos, a historic religious and burial site, continues to offer invaluable insights into Egypt’s ancient dynasties.
Concurrent with these discoveries, an Egyptian mission from the SCA unearthed a Roman pottery workshop in the village of Banaweet, Sohag. This site, among the largest pottery production centers in ancient Egypt, reveals kilns, extensive storage areas, and 32 ostraca inscribed with Demotic and Greek texts. These findings illuminate ancient commercial activities and tax systems, offering rare glimpses into the economic practices of the era.
Mohamed Abdel-Badi, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, pointed out the site’s later use as a burial ground from the 7th to the 14th century CE. Among the intriguing discoveries were mud brick tombs, human and family burials, and a child mummy adorned with a colorful woven cap.
The excavation also uncovered plant remains, including wheat, barley, and doum palm fruit, highlighting the region’s agricultural history and continuity over centuries.
