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Sealed Jars of Wine From 5,000 Years Ago Uncovered in Egyptian Queen’s Tomb

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Sealed jars of wine from 5,000 years ago have been uncovered amongst the grave goods found in an Egyptian Queen’s tomb.

The stash once belonging to Queen Meret-Neith in Abydos, from 3,000 BC, and is one of the oldest ever.

Researchers from the University of Vienna say she was the most powerful woman in the period and possibly the first female pharaoh of ancient Egypt.

Queen Meret-Neith was the only woman to have her own monumental tomb in Egypt’s first royal cemetery at Abydos.

Although her true identity remains a mystery the excavation revealed hundreds of jars of wine, some still sealed, buried with her.

Meret-Neith’s monumental tomb complex in the Abydos desert, which includes the tombs of 41 courtiers and servants in addition to her own burial chamber, was built of unbaked mud bricks, clay and wood.

In addition, inscriptions testify that Queen Meret-Neith was responsible for central government offices such as the treasury, which supports the idea of her special historical significance.

Archaeologist Professor Christiana Köhler from the University of Vienna said that a lot of the finds are undergoing analysis to reveal their secrets.

“The wine was no longer liquid and we can’t tell if it was red or white,” she said. “We found a lot of organic residue, grape seeds and crystals, possibly tartar and all of this is currently being scientifically analyzed.

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Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Oldest And Most Complete Egyptian Mummy

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Near the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egyptologists working on an ancient cemetery uncovered what has been called “the oldest and most complete mummy found in Egypt to date.”

Located at the bottom of a 45-foot (15-meter) shaft, a limestone sarcophagus contained the remains of a very rich man whom hieroglyphics named Heka-shepas, who was probably the oldest mummy ever found who wasn’t a blue blood.

How old was this Heka-shepas? Last year was the 100th anniversary of the opening of the “Boy King” Tutenkhamon’s tomb. During the Boy King’s reign, Heka-shepas had already been slumbering under the sands for more than 1,000 years.

The shaft containing him was found near the modern-day village of Saqqara, a location near the capital city of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, from 2,700 to 2,200 BCE.

His remains were found covered in gold leaf, with various jewelry pieces bedecking the body.

Near Heka-shepas’ tomb, other shafts were found that uncovered important wooden statues, some behind a false wall.

“The mission discovered three stone statues representing a person named Fetek,” Renowned Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass detailed on his Instagram. “Beside these statues was an offering table and a stone sarcophagus that contained his mummy.”

Two other mummies were found with the discovery. The priests Khnum-djed-ef and Messi were found in the pyramid complexes of Unas, and King Pepi I respectively.

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