The pyramids of Giza. Image by Ricardo Liberato, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Archaeologists discover pharaonic tomb in Egypt

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The pyramids of Giza. Image by Ricardo Liberato, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The pyramids of Giza. Image by Ricardo Liberato, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

CAIRO (AP) – Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities says that American and Egyptian archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a previously unknown pharaonic king dating back to dating to roughly 1650 B.C.

Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim said in a statement Wednesday that archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania, cooperating with the ministry, uncovered the tomb of 16th-dynasty King Seneb Kay near the southern city of Sohag. The team determined his name by deciphering hieroglyphics on the tomb’s walls.

During the second intermediate period of ancient Egyptian history, the country was divided among several rulers.

Head of Antiquities Ali al-Asfar says the discovery will shed light on a complex period of ancient history.

“This adds to our pharaonic history, and sheds light on an era about which we knew very little previously,” he says.

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-01-15-14 1834GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The pyramids of Giza. Image by Ricardo Liberato, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The pyramids of Giza. Image by Ricardo Liberato, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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