A necropolis and residential settlement were uncovered in Abydos in Sohag, almost 400 m south of the temple of King Seti I
By Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 24 Nov 2016
A necropolis and residential settlement were uncovered Tuesday in Abydos in Sohag, almost 400 metres south of the temple of the New Kingdom pharaoh Seti I.
The settlement and Early Dynastic Period necropolis were found during excavation by an archaeological mission from the Ministry of Antiquities.
Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities, said that the newly discovered site could belong to high officials or architects responsible for the construction of the tombs and funerary walls of the pharaohs of the First Dynasty.
Afifi described the discovery as “very important” because it reveals new information that could change archaeologist's understanding of the history of ancient Abydos.
Excavators also uncovered 15 large mudbrick tombs of varying architectural design. The surface area of each, Afifi said, could reach 70 metres -- larger than that of a First Dynasty royal tomb.
“This size reflects the position of the tombs’ owners -- their importance and social level within the community of that period,” Afifi told Ahram Online.
He added that a group of mudbrick huts were also discovered within the settlement as well as a collection of artefacts from daily life, including the remains of a large number of clay vessels and stone tools used in land cultivation, which suggests that the huts could have belonged to workers supplying the settlement with provisions.
Yasser Mahmoud, the mission's field director, said that the uncovered tombs have a unique architectural design and one or more mastaba -- distinguished by flat roofs and sloping sides -- known only for pharaohs from the First and Third Dynasties at the Saqqara Necropolis. “This new discovery shows that the mastaba tombs were first used in Abydos for pharaohs from the First Dynasty,” Mahmoud said.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/250686/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Metropolis-discovered-in-Abydos-in-the-Upper-Egypt.aspx
Showing posts with label Sohag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sohag. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Thursday, July 3, 2014
King Mentuhotep II's chapel unearthed in Sohag
A well preserved limestone chapel from the reign of the 11th Dynasty king Mentuhotep II has been unearthed in Sohag
by Nevine El-Aref , Wednesday 2 Jul 2014
At the Arabet Abydos area in Sohag, where the large temple of King Seti I is located, an Egyptian excavation mission from the Ministry of Antiquities and Heritage (MAH) stumbled upon a limestone ancient Egyptian chapel from the 11th Dynasty.
The excavation work came within the framework of a cleaning programme carried out by the MAH in that area, after officers of the tourism and antiquities police caught red handed inhabitants trying to illegally excavate the area in front their residences in search of treasured artefacts.
Ali El-Asfar, head of the ancient Egyptian Section at the MAH, told Ahram Online that the chapel is in a very well preserved condition and is located 150 metres north to the temple of King Seti I.
Early studies on the hieroglyphic text engraved on the chapel's walls suggest that it belongs to the 11th Dynasty king Mentuhotep II, in honour of the god Osiris after his unification with the local god of Sohag, Khenti-Amenty.
The chapel is now under restoration as some of its engraving was subjected to damage from subterranean water.
"It is a very important discovery that will reveal more of the history of King Mentuhotep II," Minister of Antiquties and Heritage Mamdouh El-Damaty told Ahram Online.
He explained that monuments belonging to Mentuhotep II are rare in Abydos, despite that Mentuhotep II built several religious edifices in Abydos in an attempt to bolster his power in the ancient city through drawing closer Khenti-Amenty.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/105292/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/King-Mentuhotep-IIs-chapel-unearthed-in-Sohag.aspx
by Nevine El-Aref , Wednesday 2 Jul 2014
At the Arabet Abydos area in Sohag, where the large temple of King Seti I is located, an Egyptian excavation mission from the Ministry of Antiquities and Heritage (MAH) stumbled upon a limestone ancient Egyptian chapel from the 11th Dynasty.
The excavation work came within the framework of a cleaning programme carried out by the MAH in that area, after officers of the tourism and antiquities police caught red handed inhabitants trying to illegally excavate the area in front their residences in search of treasured artefacts.
Ali El-Asfar, head of the ancient Egyptian Section at the MAH, told Ahram Online that the chapel is in a very well preserved condition and is located 150 metres north to the temple of King Seti I.
Early studies on the hieroglyphic text engraved on the chapel's walls suggest that it belongs to the 11th Dynasty king Mentuhotep II, in honour of the god Osiris after his unification with the local god of Sohag, Khenti-Amenty.
The chapel is now under restoration as some of its engraving was subjected to damage from subterranean water.
"It is a very important discovery that will reveal more of the history of King Mentuhotep II," Minister of Antiquties and Heritage Mamdouh El-Damaty told Ahram Online.
He explained that monuments belonging to Mentuhotep II are rare in Abydos, despite that Mentuhotep II built several religious edifices in Abydos in an attempt to bolster his power in the ancient city through drawing closer Khenti-Amenty.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/105292/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/King-Mentuhotep-IIs-chapel-unearthed-in-Sohag.aspx
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
The tomb of Abydos dynasty king found
A name of an ancient Egyptian king who was not known before was revealed in Abydos ancient Egyptian necropolis in the Upper Egyptian town of Sohag
by Nevine El-Aref , Wednesday 15 Jan 2014
An American excavation mission from the University of Pennsylvania uncovered the name of an ancient Egyptian king from the Abydos dynasty during the second Intermediate Period (1650 BC) during routine excavations south of Abydos archaeological site.
According to a statement by the Ministry of State of Antiquities (MSA), the name of the king is Sneb-Kay. His name was found on Tuesday engraved on a wall of his tomb.
MSA Minister Mohamed Ibrahim told Ahram Online that it is a very important discovery because it shed more light on Abydos local families that ruled the nome during the Second Intermediate Period, considered one of the most critical phases of ancient Egyptian history.
Ali El-Asfar, head of the ancient Egyptian Section at the MSA, said that early excavation revealed that the tomb was built with blocks previously used in tombs of the Middle Kingdom. Remains of a wooden sarcophagus still bearing the king's skeleton were also found inside the tomb as well as a set of canopic jars.
Early studies carried out on the skeleton, which is poorly conserved, show that the king could have been 1.85 metres long, El-Asfar said.
The skeleton of Pharaoh Senebkay was originally mummified but his body was pulled apart by ancient tomb robbers.
Joseph Wagner, head of the American mission, stated that the tomb neighbours the tomb of King Subek Hotep of the 13th dynasty and the newly discovered tomb can be dated to a dynasty called Abydos mentioned by archaeologist K.Rhyholt, although the ruling tenure of the king is still a mystery. He added that the poor state of the tomb shows that Egypt was suffering bad economic conditions.
Excavations and studies are in full swing to learn more about the mysterious period.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/91651/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/The-tomb-of-Abydos-dynasty-king-found-Gallery.aspx
by Nevine El-Aref , Wednesday 15 Jan 2014
An American excavation mission from the University of Pennsylvania uncovered the name of an ancient Egyptian king from the Abydos dynasty during the second Intermediate Period (1650 BC) during routine excavations south of Abydos archaeological site.
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| (Photocredit: Nevine El-Aref) |
According to a statement by the Ministry of State of Antiquities (MSA), the name of the king is Sneb-Kay. His name was found on Tuesday engraved on a wall of his tomb.
MSA Minister Mohamed Ibrahim told Ahram Online that it is a very important discovery because it shed more light on Abydos local families that ruled the nome during the Second Intermediate Period, considered one of the most critical phases of ancient Egyptian history.
Ali El-Asfar, head of the ancient Egyptian Section at the MSA, said that early excavation revealed that the tomb was built with blocks previously used in tombs of the Middle Kingdom. Remains of a wooden sarcophagus still bearing the king's skeleton were also found inside the tomb as well as a set of canopic jars.
Early studies carried out on the skeleton, which is poorly conserved, show that the king could have been 1.85 metres long, El-Asfar said.
The skeleton of Pharaoh Senebkay was originally mummified but his body was pulled apart by ancient tomb robbers.
Joseph Wagner, head of the American mission, stated that the tomb neighbours the tomb of King Subek Hotep of the 13th dynasty and the newly discovered tomb can be dated to a dynasty called Abydos mentioned by archaeologist K.Rhyholt, although the ruling tenure of the king is still a mystery. He added that the poor state of the tomb shows that Egypt was suffering bad economic conditions.
Excavations and studies are in full swing to learn more about the mysterious period.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/91651/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/The-tomb-of-Abydos-dynasty-king-found-Gallery.aspx
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