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Anubis painting on a tomb wall in Luxor. (File) Press Association Images

The tomb of a mysterious Pharaoh queen has been unearthed in Egypt

Until now, the name of Khentakawess had been unknown.

CZECH ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE unearthed the tomb of a previously unknown queen believed to have been the wife of Pharaoh Neferefre who ruled 4,500 years ago.

The tomb was discovered in Abu Sir, an Old Kingdom necropolis southwest of Cairo where there are several pyramids dedicated to pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty, including Neferefre.

The name of his wife had not been known before the find, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said in a statement.

He identified her as Khentakawess, saying that for the “first time we have discovered the name of this queen who had been unknown before the discovery of her tomb”.

That would make her Khentakawess III, as two previous queens with the same name have already been identified.

Her name and rank had been inscribed on the inner walls of the tomb, probably by the builders, Damaty said.

“This discovery will help us shed light on certain unknown aspects of the Fifth Dynasty, which along with the Fourth Dynasty, witnessed the construction of the first pyramids,” he added.

Miroslav Barta, who heads the Czech Institute of Egyptology mission who made the discovery, said the tomb was found in Neferefre’s funeral complex.

“This makes us believe that the queen was his wife,” Barta said, according to the statement.

An official at the antiquities ministry said the tomb dated from the middle of the Fifth Dynasty (2994-2345 BC).

Archaeologists also found around 30 utensils, 24 made of limestone and four of copper, the statement added.

© – AFP 2015

Read: ‘Treasure hunters’ pillaging Egyptian artefacts >

Read: Seventeen lost pyramids uncovered using pioneering space archaeology >

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Jan 26th 2015, 1:56 PM

    Hopefully they’ll invest money in what are some of the most soulless and dated hotels in the country. They have the name of being nothing short of knocking shops. Bit of time effort and money is badly needed.

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Jan 26th 2015, 2:30 PM

    They don’t need to. They have close to full occupancy every night. They don’t try or want to be a five star.

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    Mute Matt B
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    Jan 26th 2015, 3:36 PM

    I don’t know when you last stayed in one….. They are much improved compared to 5 or 6 years ago.

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    Jan 26th 2015, 1:38 PM

    The jury is out on this deal

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    Mute Hal Pacino
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    Jan 26th 2015, 1:41 PM

    Terrible!

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    Mute Charles Rex
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    Jan 26th 2015, 1:54 PM

    Here’s your coat, what’s your rush?

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    Mute Krystian Brzezowski
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    Jan 26th 2015, 4:24 PM

    Maybe they will finally invest some money in staffing, as at the moment they are running nowadays ”labour camps”

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    Mute Krystian Brzezowski
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    Jan 26th 2015, 9:12 PM

    And why am I getting red thumbs? Has anyone worked in those camps?

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jan 26th 2015, 5:28 PM

    €130,000 per room? Sounds juicy. Product of ultra low interest rates I guess.

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    Mute Uncle Mort
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    Jan 26th 2015, 2:33 PM

    The original Jury’s in Dame Street was a real hotel and the bar was particularly nice, as Joni Mitchell put it
    “Don’t it always seem to go
    That you don’t know what you’ve got
    Till it’s gone

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    Mute Justin Devaney
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    Jan 26th 2015, 3:02 PM

    Is that Joan Mitchell from the liberties, Pats wife?

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