Archaeologists at an Egyptian queen’s tomb have made an exciting discovery (Picture: EC Köhler/SWNS)
Researchers exploring the tomb of an Egyptian queen have discovered some tasty tipples due to go to the afterlife with her.
Queen Meret-Neith was buried in Abydos in around 3,000 BC, and was the only woman to have her own tomb in Egypt’s first royal cemetery.
Researchers from the University of Vienna say she was the most powerful woman of the period, and may have been the first female pharaoh of ancient Egypt.
Now researchers exploring her tomb have uncovered an extensive number of grave goods – including jars of wine which will have been placed in the tomb 5,000 years ago.
Meret-Neith’s monumental tomb complex, 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.
Inscriptions say she was responsible for central government offices such as the treasury – which hints at her special historical significance.
Archaeologist Professor Christiana Köhler said a number of the finds, including the wine jars, are undergoing analysis to reveal their history.
She said: ‘The wine was no longer liquid and we can’t tell if it was red or white.
Some of the jars were still sealed in the same condition as 5,000 years ago (Picture: EC Köhler/SWNS)
Hundreds of well-preserved grape seeds were also found (Picture: EC Köhler/SWNS)
Archaeologists have been investigating the entire tomb complex (Picture: EC Köhler/SWNS)
‘We found a lot of organic residue, grape seeds and crystals, possibly tartar and all of this is currently being scientifically analysed.
‘It is probably the second oldest direct evidence for wine, the oldest also comes from Abydos.
‘The new excavations bring to light exciting new information about this unique woman and her time.’
Thanks to careful excavation methods and new archaeological technologies, the team was able to show the tombs were built in several construction phases and over a relatively long period of time.
This radically challenges the idea of a ritual human sacrifice as part of the royal burial in the First Dynasty, which was often assumed in early research but never really proven.
The team is working in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, the University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Technology in Austria and Lund University in Sweden.
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