Mystery of the mummy of the woman mistaken for an Egyptian pharaoh

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization located in northeastern Africa, and centered along the lower reaches of the Nile River .

The entire fertile Nile Delta is considered the cradle of ancient Egyptian civilization. This civilization lasted for thousands of years. The most famous and successful of these civilizations was probably the period when great pharaohs ruled ancient Egypt, such as pharaohs Djoser, Khufu, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Ramses II.

In fact, by the late 19th century, many of the tombs of the great pharaohs scattered throughout the Valley of the Kings  had been discovered and excavated or looted by tomb robbers. However, to this day, there are still intact tombs being found and excavated.

As evidence, in 2020, archaeologists made a new discovery at Dahshur. This is a royal cemetery located in the desert on the West Bank of the Nile, about 40km from Cairo.

Specifically, experts found many artifacts and cultural relics inside a coffin believed to belong to a king. Because this coffin was placed inside a pyramid. According to ancient Egyptian customs, only kings, also known as pharaohs, of ancient Egypt were buried in pyramids.

The exterior of the coffin found inside the tomb. (Photo: Smithsonian).

Dr. Yasmin El Shazly, an Egyptologist and head of a team of archaeologists, worked with colleagues to piece together pieces of wood found in the burial chamber. They eventually created a coffin lid with an intricately carved face.

Dr. Yasmin El Shazly is the head of the research team that discovered the pyramid containing the mummy of a mysterious woman. (Photo: Smithsonian).

" The coffins often have similar features to their owners. However, they are idealized, because that is what will last forever ," said Dr. Yasmin El Shazly.

Initially, researchers went into the work believing that the owner of the sarcophagus in the pyramid was a king. However, when restoration and research were carried out, this assumption was quickly discovered to be wrong.

" The restoration revealed something amazing. This is not a king. It is actually a mysterious woman ," Ms. Shazly added.

Ancient Egyptian women often wore Hathor wigs. (Photo: Smithsonian).

The coffin lid shows a person wearing a Hathor wig , a popular accessory for women during the Middle Kingdom, the expert explained.

Hathor is an ancient Egyptian goddess. With many different roles, from life to death, Hathor is considered a very important deity in ancient Egyptian religion. This goddess is described as always appearing with a sun disk and cow horns on her head. Hathor is the goddess of love, beauty, women, the sky, joy, art, miners and sex.

Who is the mysterious woman found in the tomb of the Egyptian king?

Archaeologists found a chest with many hieroglyphs in the tomb. (Photo: Smithsonian).

The mummy of this mysterious woman was found next to a chest with many hieroglyphs, so researchers hope it will help them decipher and find out the woman's identity.

But the place where this woman's name is written is seriously damaged. This is truly a pity.

Egyptologists have deciphered the remaining hieroglyphs and explained: " What is extremely important about this chest is that we know it belonged to a princess. Because the chest is inscribed 'king's daughter'" .

Although it is known that the owner of the tomb was a princess, her name remains a mystery. In particular, the reason why this princess was buried in a pyramid is an unexplained mystery.

Hieroglyphics in the tomb reveal that the owner of this place was an ancient Egyptian princess. (Photo: Smithsonian)

" This type of pyramid design was intended for a king. This is not a place for a low-ranking member of the royal family. A princess would usually have just a small tomb ," said Professor Aidan Dodson at the University of Bristol.

It is this difference that makes the burial of a princess in a pyramid a real mystery.

To learn more about this princess, the research team turned their attention to the period in which she lived. That was the Middle Kingdom period (around 2030 BC – 1650 BC). However, until now, the identity of the ancient Egyptian princess who was specially buried in the pyramid remains an unsolved mystery.