Egyptian Princess Shert Nebti’s tomb found by Czechs near Cairo
A picture shows the mummy of Queen Tiye, Tutankhamun’s grandmother, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo.
Czech archeologists have discovered an ancient burial site of the Pharaonic princess Shert Nebti just outside of Cairo, Egyptian officials announced Friday, a find experts say "marks the beginning of a new era," reported Agence-France Presse.
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The 4,500-year discovery has thrilled the archeological community because it suggests other burial sites may be in the area, said the Associated Press.
Surrounding the princess' tomb were four limestone pillars with hieroglyphic inscriptions explaining her significance, antiquities officials said.
"She is the daughter of the king [Men Salbo], but only her tomb is there, surrounded by the four officials, so the question is, are we going to discover other tombs around hers in the near future?" Antiquities Ministry's Mohammed El-Bialy asked AP. "We don't know anything about her father, the king, or her mother, but hope that future discoveries will answer these questions," he said, adding that explorations there are "ongoing."
The tomb, which dates to back to Egypt's fifth dynasty, around 2,500 BC, is located close to the Saqqara step pyramid, said AP. It is not open to the public.
The discovery was made by an archeology team from the Czech Institute of Egyptology from Prague's Charles University, according to AFP.
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