5,000-year-old cemetery found in S Egypt

Xinhuanet

An Egyptian archeological mission has unearthed a 5,000-year-old royal burial ground in southern Egypt, the official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.

The cemetery was discovered in Umm el-Ga'ab area, south of the historical city of Abydos in Sohag governorate, about 400 km south of Cairo, said the report.

The burial ground, which contains 13 tombs, is believed to be of senior royal employees or people who contributed to the construction of the cemetery.

Middle East Times

Archaeologists have uncovered ancient wooden coffins in what appears to be a royal burial ground near the necropolis of Abydos in southern Egypt, the state-run MENA news agency reported on Saturday.

The agency said that the discovery, made by a team from the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities, could be dated back to the Old Kingdom (3,000 B.C.) -- the golden age of pyramid building in ancient times.

The team "has found what could be a royal complex of 13 tombs of different shapes and sizes that could have belonged to high officials from that period or people who contributed to building these tombs," MENA said.

Egypt State Information Service

5,000 year old cemetery has been unearthed in Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt, officials said on Saturday 5/7/2008.

The cemetery is believed to be of senior royal staffers or persons who participated in the establishment of the royal tombs. It contains 13 tombs.

The cemetery was discovered by a mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Umm el-Ga'ab area, south of Sohag's Abydos archaeological city.

The mission also found a group of wooden caskets, containing embalmed remains, as well as a "Senet" game which resembles chess.

This is the second time an ancient Egyptian Senet game is discovered. The first was found in King Tutankhamen's tomb.