Archaeology & History

Tomb of Queen Khentakawess III unearthed

By T.K. Randall
January 5, 2015

Image: Riding a Camel Across Egypt
Credit: Adelbayoumi / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Found within Absusir, an area that served as a cemetery for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, the tomb is believed to have belonged to the wife or mother of Pharaoh Neferefre who, according to an inscription, was named Khentakawess.

"This discovery will 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," said Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty.[google]

Believed to date back around 4,500 years, the tomb also contained several artifacts from the same era including a set of limestone pots and four copper tools.

"The unearthed tomb is a part of a small cemetery to the south east of the pyramid complex of King Neferefre (Raneferef) which led the team to think that Queen Khentkaus could be the wife of Neferefre hence she was buried close to his funerary complex," said Egyptologist Dr Miroslav Barta.

Source: Telegraph

Tags: Khentakawess, Egypt