Khentakawess III is believed to have been the wife of Pharaoh Neferefre, who ruled Egypt 4,500 years ago.
The discovery is expected to shed light on dynasties that saw construction of the first pyramids [AFP]
Czech archaeologists have unearthed the tomb of a previously unknown
queen believed to have been the wife of Pharaoh Neferefre who ruled
4,500 years ago, officials in Egypt have said.
The tomb was discovered in Abu Sir, an Old Kingdom necropolis
southwest of Cairo where there are several pyramids dedicated to
pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty, including Neferefre.
The name of his wife had not been known before the find, antiquities minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said in a statement.
He identified her as Khentakawess, saying that for the "first time we
have discovered the name of this queen who had been unknown before the
discovery of her tomb".
That would make her Khentakawess III, as two previous queens with the same name have already been identified.
Her name and rank had been inscribed on the inner walls of the tomb, probably by the builders, Damaty said.
"This discovery will help us shed light on certain unknown aspects of
the Fifth Dynasty, which along with the Fourth Dynasty, witnessed the
construction of the first pyramids," he added.
Miroslav Barta, who heads the Czech Institute of Egyptology mission
who made the discovery, said the tomb was found in Neferefre's funeral
complex.
"This makes us believe that the queen was his wife," Barta said, according to the statement.
An official at the antiquities ministry said the tomb dated from the
middle of the Fifth Dynasty (2994-2345 BC). Archaeologists also found
around 30 utensils, 24 made of limestone and four of copper, the
statement added.