The 3,800-year-old mummy of a revered Egyptian woman, Lady Sattjeni, has been discovered in Southeastern Egypt in spectacular condition.
The excavation, undertaken by the Egyptian ministry of antiquities and the Spanish Jaén University, unearthed the unique discovery in the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis. The discovery is notable not only due to the fame of Lady Sattjeni but also due to the astonishingly good condition of the mummy and the coffin which is painted with stunning hieroglyphics.
“The inner coffin was in extremely good condition. This will even allow us to date the year in which the tree was cut,” the Ministry of Antiquities wrote in a statement on Facebook.
The excavation site. Photo: The Eqyptian Ministry of Antiquities
“The discovery is of a historic importance because Sattjeni is one of the most important figures in the Middle Kingdom, being the mother of Heqaib III and Amaeny-Senb – two of the highest authorities of Elephantine under the reign of Amenemhat III, around 1800-1775 BC,” Dr Mahmoud Afify, head of the Ancient Egyptian Archaeology Sector at the Ministry, told the Daily Mail.
But following the deaths of the important men in her family certain rights fell to Sattjeni putting her in a uniquely powerful position.
“Lady Sattjeni was a key figure of the local dynasty,” Dr Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano, a researcher at Jaén University told the Mail.
“She was the daughter of the monarch Sarenput II and, after the death of all the male members of her family, she was the unique holder of the dynastic rights in the government of Elephantine.“
The Sarenput family ruled Elephantine in around 1,800 BC and were one of the highest ranking families in Egypt at the time just below that of the pharaoh.
The excavation site. Photo: The Eqyptian Ministry of Antiquities
The find comes after eight years of excavations at the necropolis and is only one of many discoveries made by the researchers at Jaén University since the inception of the project.
Increasingly, archeologists register spectacular finds when it comes to the ancient Egyptians, from millions of mummified dogs to the true face of King Tut.