Ancient Egyptian tomb may contain forgotten pharaoh's body

A 4,200-year-old tomb found in the Egyptian city of Aswan may be the burial place of the rulers of Elephantine Island during the Old Kingdom period.

The wall of a 4,200-year-old tomb excavated in Aswan, Egypt. Photo: Egypt Independent.

An excavation team led by the University of Birmingham, UK, discovered the wall of a 4,200-year-old tomb in Qubbet el-Hawa, Aswan, Egypt, the Daily Star reported. This could be the resting place of a pharaoh.

The ancient wall, which is more than two metres high, was discovered north of the West Aswan cemetery. It is believed to be an annex to another tomb containing the remains of Harkhuf and Heqaib, rulers of the Egyptian island of Elephantine during the Old Kingdom period.

"This discovery changes our understanding of funerary customs in the region during the Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period, from 2278 to 2184 BC. I don't think anyone knows who the real owner of this tomb was," said Carl Graves, a PhD student involved in the project.

According to Eman Khalifa, director of the Qubbet el-Hawa Research Project (QHRP) ceramics project, the stone wall was dated based on ceramic fragments embedded inside. They are typical of the reign of King Pepi II (2278-2184 BC). The team plans to excavate the tomb further in April next year.

According to VNE