Hierakonpolis (Egypte): Archaeologists unearth 5,600-year-old tomb complete with mummy that predates the First Dynasty of pharaohs
Sarah Griffiths
* Mummy predates the unification of Egypt and could shed light on a time before the First Dynasty, Egypt's Antiquities Ministry said
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It was found with an ivory statue of a bearded man and the mummy of the tomb's owner, who appeared to have died in his late teenage years
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Tomb is located in the ancient city of Hierakonpolis located between Luxor and Aswan, which was the dominant pre-dynastic urban settlement
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It is hoped that the tomb's preserved state will provide new information on pre-dynastic rituals
From the country's enormous riches to its complex religious rituals, there is an enduring fascination with Ancient Egypt.
But now a 5,600-year-old tomb has been discovered that could shed light on a time before the First Dynasty of pharoahs.
Archaeologists in southern Egypt unearthed a mummy that predates the unification of Egypt, the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry has announced.
Treasure trove: Archaeologists in southern Egypt found a mummy that predates the First Dynasty and the unification of Egypt together with an array of precious objects (pictured), the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry announced
The tomb was built before the rule of King Narmer, the founder of the First Dynasty who unified Upper and Lower Egypt in the 31st century BC, the ministry said in a statement.
It was discovered in the Kom al-Ahmar region, between Luxor and Aswan, on the site of Hierakonpolis.
This city of the falcon was the dominant pre-dynastic urban centre and the capital of the Kingdom of Upper Egypt.
The archaeologists found an ivory statue of a bearded man and the mummy of the tomb's owner, who appeared to have died in his late teenage years, the ministry said.
It is thought that the teenager may have been a member of the nobility or even royal because such care was taken with the burial.
A number of other objects were found as well, including knives and combs, one of which appears to have a hippo standing upon it.
The tomb's preserved state will provide new information on pre-dynastic rituals, said Renee Friedman, the head of the multinational archaeological team.
Bearded figure: The archaeologists found an ivory statue of a bearded man (pictured) and the mummy of the tomb's owner, who appeared to have died in his late teenage years
The tombs of King Narmer and King Ra, a pre-dynastic pharaoh who paved the way to Egypt's unification, were previously discovered in Hierakonpolis.
Little is known about the First Dynasty, although a small amount of information has been gleaned from a few monuments and other objects bearing royal names.
The most important artefact discovered from the period is the Narmer palette, which dates from the 31st century BC and contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found.
The tomb was built before the rule of king Narmer, the founder of the First Dynasty who unified Upper and Lower Egypt in the 31th century BC and contained a small figure carved from ivory (pictured left and right)
THE FIRST DYNASTY
The First Dynasty of ancient Egypt covers the first series of pharaohs to rule over a unified Egypt and dates from between 3,100BC and 2890BC.
It follows the unification of upper and lower Egypt, which was thought to have come about because of King Narmer.
It is one of two early dynasties of the 'archaic period' which was based at Thinis.
Little is known about the First Dynasty and most information about the period is based upon a few monuments and objects bearing royal names.
The most important artefact of the time if the Narmer Pallette which dates from the 31st century BC and contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found.
No detailed records of the first two dynasties have survived, except for the terse lists on the Palermo stone. Hieroglyphs were fully developed and their shapes would be used with little change for more than three thousand years.
