Egypt, 5,000-year-old jars discovered, some even with wine remains

by Redazione , published on 19/10/2023
Categories: Archaeology / Disclaimer
In Egypt, the excavation of the tomb of Queen Merneit, perhaps Egypt's first female ruler who lived 5,000 years ago, has led to the discovery of artifacts that may shed light on her very ancient reign. The finds include unopened jars, some containing remnants of wine.

New light has been shed on Egyptian Queen Merneit, a ruler belonging to the First Dynasty (3150 to 2925 B.C.) and among Egypt’s oldest rulers. Indeed, an archaeological expedition from Egypt, Germany, and Austria, led by archaeologist Christiana Köhler, has discovered an inscription and several artifacts that provide new information about Merneit’s reign. The expedition is working on the queen’s tomb, which is located in the Umm al-Qaab region of Abydos (in the center of the country, one of Egypt’s oldest cities): Merneit may have been Egypt’s first female ruler, although we cannot establish this with certainty.

Among the finds were numerous wine jars , some of which still contain remnants of wine from the period, as well as a collection of objects related to funerary rites (in fact, 41 tombs of her dignitaries were found next to the queen’s burial place). The material is in good condition, despite the fact that we are talking about objects from five thousand years ago.

The excavations, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced in a note, were also able to unveil new historical information about the queen’s life and reign, and a study of the inscriptions on one of the plaques inside the necropolis showed that the queen held a high position as she was in charge of the central government offices.

Studies conducted on the cemetery indicated that Queen Merneit’s tomb was built with rough bricks, clay, and wooden boards, and that the queen may be the only woman of the early dynasty to have had a tomb in Abydos.

Egypt, 5,000-year-old jars discovered, some even with wine remains
Egypt, 5,000-year-old jars discovered, some even with wine remains


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