Minya, Egypt | A Team of Archaeologists Discovered Two Rare Early Dynastic Period Tombs and Funerary Remains that Expand the History of Ancient Egypt

During excavation work at the Jabal -al - Teir site in Minya, the capital of the Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt, located approximately 245 km soith of the capital of the country, Cairo, on the western bank of the Nile River, which flows north through the city,  a team of archaeologists leading a mission of the Supreme Council Antiquities has discovered two rare Early Dynastic Period (3100 - 2686 BC) tombs along funerary remains that expand the history of ancient Egypt.

These tombs feature tapering walls and construction techniques that experts believe were the experimental precursors to the famous step pyramids, a discovery that reveals burials from different periods and provides new evidence on the evolution of Egyptian funerary architecture.

The walls of the first tomb are notably thicker at the base and taper inward as they go up. This ancient understanding of structural load and equilibrium is considered a vital evolotuniary step that eventually led to Egypt’s iconic pyramids.

The second tomb, located just south of the first is nearly identical in layout but did not undergo subsequent stonework interventions, which allowed a better conservation of its architectural elements.

Individuals and collective burials were also discovered, some inside the remains of wooden coffins, probably from the late period. These findings confirm the continuity of the area’s use as a cementery throughout different eras of ancient Egypt, as excavations continue to reveal more details of the site.

Indications of reuse of the structure in later times were also identified, as well as cut marks in stone and remains of wodden supports used to reinforce the walls.

Preliminary studies further indicate strong similarities between these structures and King Den’s tomb, one of the most powerful rulers of the First Dynasty in Abydos, one of the oldest and most sacred cities of ancient Egypt, located roughly 11 kilometres west of the Nile in Upper Egypt near modern El - Balyana.

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi, noted that these finds make an important contribution to Egypt archaeological record, as it helps to understand the evolution of funerary architecture in Ancient Egypt throughout its various stages.

The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Hisham El - Leithy, explained that the first tomb stands out for its exceptional and unusual architectural design, while the second presents a very similar scheme and is preserved in better condition.

The head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, Mohamed Abdel Badi, said that the tombs shows a construction system based on the progressive thickening of the walls from the base to the top, a possible antecedent of architectural developments that would later lead to step pyramids and complete pyramids.

Likewise, the head of archaeological mission, Sami Dardiri, reported the discovery of a part of a predynastic necropolis with burials in the fetal position, wrapped in remains of plant mats, along with black - edged ceramics dated to the Naqada II and III cultures.

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