A recent archaeological find in Abydos, Egypt, has the potential to unlock the mysteries of the elusive Abydos Dynasty. Researchers have uncovered a royal tomb dating back over 3,600 years, offering fresh insights into a poorly documented period of ancient Egyptian history. The discovery, announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, could confirm the existence of the so-called “lost dynasty” that ruled Upper Egypt between 1700 B.C. and 1600 B.C.

A team from the University of Pennsylvania led the excavation at the Anubis Mountain necropolis. The tomb, buried approximately seven meters (23 feet) below ground, features a limestone burial chamber supported by mud-brick vaults. Rising to a height of five meters (16.5 feet), the tomb’s entrance is adorned with golden bands of hieroglyphs that likely bear the name of the buried king, though his identity remains unknown.

Adding to its significance, the tomb’s entrance displays inscriptions dedicated to Isis and Nephthys, two goddesses closely associated with mourning and the afterlife. The presence of these deities further emphasizes the tomb’s royal and religious importance.

Egyptian Antiquities Sector head Mohamed Abdel Badie has noted that the size of this tomb surpasses other known Abydos Dynasty burials. This has led researchers to speculate that the tomb’s owner may have been a predecessor of King Senebkay, who ruled between 1650 B.C. and 1600 B.C. The decorative elements of the newly discovered tomb share stylistic similarities with Senebkay’s burial site, which was unearthed in 2014 and remains one of the most significant pieces of evidence linked to the Abydos Dynasty.