FOOD & DRINK
Sealed jars of wine from 5,000 years ago have been discovered in the tomb of a woman believed to be Egypt’s first female pharaoh, SWNS reports.
A German-Austrian team, led by archaeologist Christiana Köhler from the University of Vienna, was conducting an excavation of Queen Meret-Neith’s tomb in Abydos when they stumbled across the large wine jars.
Some were well preserved and even still sealed in their original state.
Christiana Köhler Archaeologist at University of Vienna
Christiana Köhler Archaeologist at University of Vienna
Although her true identity remains a mystery, Meret-Neith was the only woman to have her own monumental tomb in Egypt’s first royal cemetery at Abydos.
Based on tomb inscriptions, researchers determined she was responsible for government agencies such as the treasury, around 3,000 BC.
Meret-Neith was the predecessor of Queen Hatshepsut from the 18th dynasty.
Meret-Neith’s desert tomb complex — which includes the tombs of 41 courtiers and servants, in addition to her own burial chamber — was constructed with unbaked mud bricks, clay and wood.