The French archaeological mission working at the San El-Hagar (Tanis) archaeological site in Sharqia Governorate, headed by Dr. Frédéric Payraudeau of Sorbonne University, has made an important archaeological discovery inside one of the royal tombs famous for their treasures, which rose to fame in 1939 when a collection of the most precious treasures, known as the Treasures of Tanis and currently displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, was found there.
During archaeological cleaning of the floor of the northern chamber of the tomb of King Osorkon II of the 22nd Dynasty, the mission discovered a large group of 225 funerary statuettes (ushabti) of King Sheshonq III, one of the most prominent kings of the 22nd Dynasty, known for his distinctive architectural contributions in the city of Tanis. The statuettes were found in their original position, within accumulated layers of silt, near an uninscribed granite sarcophagus that had previously been found without its owner being identified.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said during his inspection of the excavation site at Tanis that this discovery represents a unique scientific addition, as it is the most significant find in the royal tombs of Tanis since 1946. It is also a decisive step in solving one of the long-standing archaeological mysteries, as new scientific evidence indicates that the sarcophagus belongs to King Sheshonq III, opening the way for new studies on the nature of royal burial during that period and on whether the king was buried inside the tomb of Osorkon II or whether his funerary items were later moved there for protection.
He added that this discovery reflects the fruitful cooperation between the French mission and the Egyptian side, and confirms that the Tanis site still holds many undiscovered secrets, which requires continued excavation and restoration work, as it is one of the most important royal centers of the Third Intermediate Period.
Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, noted that the mission also succeeded in uncovering new, previously unknown inscriptions inside the same chamber, enhancing researchers' understanding of the evolution of the use of royal tombs and burial methods in that period.
Dr. Hisham Hussein, head of the Central Department of Lower Egypt Antiquities, explained that the French mission has been working at the site since 1929 as part of a long-standing partnership with the Supreme Council of Antiquities, with the aim of studying and restoring this important royal site. He noted that the discovery came during the preparatory phase of a comprehensive project to protect the royal tomb, which includes building a modern canopy over the tombs, as well as salt reduction and cleaning of the architectural elements inside and outside them.
Dr. Frédéric Payraudeau explained that the next phase will see detailed archaeological studies of the new inscriptions found inside the northern chamber of the tomb of King Osorkon II, in addition to completing cleaning work that may reveal more facts about the circumstances of King Sheshonq III's burial.
He added that it remains unclear whether the king was buried directly inside the tomb of Osorkon II, or whether his funerary items were moved there to protect them from theft, saying that much work still lies ahead to answer these questions.
