At a site on the western bank of Nile River in Aswan, Spanish archaeologists have discovered a sarcophagus containing the remains of an ancient noblewoman by the name of Sattjani dating back to the Middle Kingdom’s 12th dynasty (1991 BCE – 1802 BCE), Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced. Sattjiani had been a distinguished figure in ancient Egyptian society. Her family was just below pharaoh Amenemhat III (1800-1775 BCE) in the hierarchy of Elephantine, an island in the Nile River that has been the site of a number of archaeological discoveries. According to Mahmoud Afify, head of the Ancient Egyptian Archaeology Section at the Ministry of Antiquities, the findings are of historic importance because the noblewoman was one of the most prominent figures in the Middle Kindgom. She was the mother of the local governor in Elephantine, Heqaib III, who also held the title of Overseer of Priests of Khnum, Lord of the Cataracts. She was also the daughter of Sarenput II, a nomarch during the reign of pharaohs Senusret II and Senusret III of the 12th dynasty. Alejandro Jimémez-Serrano, who led the excavation, said that, following the death of all…
3800-Year-Old Remains of Noblewoman Unearthed by Spanish Archaeologists in Aswan
May 25, 2016
