A burial chamber was discovered at the site of a 3800-year-old Dahshur pyramid in Egypt, containing a wooden box inscribed with hieroglyphs bearing the female name “Hatshepset“, possibly the daughter of pharaoh Ameny Qemau (1793-1791 BC) of the 13th Dynasty.

The wooden box is said to have contained four canopic jars of the deceased with their name engraved. The pyramid of Ameny Qemau was discovered in 1957 in Dahshur. Earlier this year archaeologists discovered a alabaster stele with the name of Ameny Qemau near a second pyramid located 600 metres away. The researchers are trying to determine why this pharaoh  has two pyramids at Dahshur. In addition to the wooden box, the researchers announced that they had discovered the remains of a poorly preserved sarcophagus in the burial chamber. Excavations are ongoing, and new discoveries possibly await

According to the researchers the inscription from the box is typical for such boxes in the Second Intermediate Period (1640-1540 BC) and belong on the side of the box facing east. It means “Neith, extend your arms over the Duamutef who is in you“. Duamutef is the god associated with the canopic jar for the stomach, while Neith is the goddess charged with protecting the jar. Another inscriptions translate: “Venerated with Neith, King’s daughter Hatshepset” and “Venerated with Duamutef, King’s daughter Hatshepset“.

It is possible that the mentioned Hatshepset was a daughter of Ameny Qemau and was buried in her father’s pyramid. Researchers state that the canopic box definitely belongs to a king’s daughter. They suggest that the pyramid is not of a type appropriate to a princess, therefore it must have been built for a king, but then usurped for her burial.

(after Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, Nevine El-Aref, Daily Mail Online & Live Science)