Archaeologists in Egypt discover tomb of previously unknown pharaoh from 1650 B.C.

Tomb of ancient Egyptian princess discovered

The tomb of an ancient Egyptian princess has been discovered south of Cairo hidden in bedrock and surrounded by a court of tombs belonging to four high officials.

CAIRO – Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities says that American and Egyptian archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a previously unknown pharaonic king dating back to dating to roughly 1650 B.C.

Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim says in a statement Wednesday that archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania, cooperating with the ministry, uncovered the tomb of sixteenth-dynasty King Seneb Kay near the southern city of Sohag. The team determined his name by deciphering hieroglyphics on the tomb's walls.

During the second intermediate period of ancient Egyptian history, the country was divided among several rulers.

Head of Antiquities Ali al-Asfar says the discovery will shed light on a complex period of ancient history.

"This adds to our pharaonic history, and sheds light on an era about which we knew very little previously," he says.