The discovery, described as the most significant in the royal tombs of the area since 1946, rewrites chapters of the 22nd Dynasty and raises new questions about the funerary practices of the period.
In the clay-shaded gloom of the northern chamber of the tomb of Pharaoh Osorkon II, meticulous archaeological cleaning work has led to a discovery of such magnitude that experts do not hesitate to describe it as historic. The French archaeological mission working at this site, known in antiquity as Tanis, has unearthed a set of 225 funerary statues, known as ushabtis, which belonged to King Sheshonq III, one of the most notable monarchs of the 22nd Dynasty.
The context of this discovery, however, is what gives it its true scientific value: the figures were found in their original location, in accumulated layers of silt, in close proximity to an anepigraphic — inscription-less — granite sarcophagus whose identity had remained an enigma since its earlier discovery.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, during an on-site inspection, did not hold back in praising the discovery, calling it a unique scientific addition and a distinctive landmark in the excavations at Tanis, surpassing in significance any other found in the royal tombs of the area since 1946. He emphasized that this discovery represents a decisive step toward solving one of the long-standing archaeological puzzles that persisted at the site.
The emerging scientific evidence, supported by the direct contextual association, points convincingly to the conclusion that the anonymous sarcophagus was, in fact, the final resting place of Sheshonq III. This identification, monumental in itself, clears up a long-standing mystery while opening an entirely new field of study regarding the nature of royal burial during the Third Intermediate Period, forcing researchers to reconsider whether the monarch was buried directly in his predecessor Osorkon II’s chamber, or whether, instead, his funerary goods were transferred there later in an act of piety and protection against the threat of looters.
The significance of this discovery is framed within the long and fruitful collaboration between the French mission, led by Dr. Frédéric Payraudeau of the Sorbonne University, and the Egyptian team, a partnership dating back to 1929 that has made Tanis its epicenter. Professor Mohamed Abdel Badi, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, noted that the success of the current campaign is not limited to the collection of ushabtis.
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The team’s work has brought to light, within the same northern chamber, a repertoire of previously unknown inscriptions and carvings, whose iconography and texts, once deciphered, promise to significantly strengthen Egyptologists’ understanding of the evolution of royal tomb use and the complex burial methodologies practiced during a period of notable fragmentation of pharaonic power.
Dr. Hisham Hussein, Head of the Central Administration for the Antiquities of Lower Egypt, contextualized the discovery within a larger project. He explained that the work leading to the discovery is part of the preparatory phase of a comprehensive plan designed for the protection and conservation of the royal necropolis. This global project includes the future installation of a modern cover over the tomb complex to protect it from the elements, as well as specific technical interventions aimed at reducing salinity levels in the structures and thoroughly cleaning architectural elements, both inside and outside the hypogea.
From a historical perspective, the importance of Tanis and of this particular tomb had already been firmly established since 1939, when archaeologist Pierre Montet discovered within it one of the most dazzling treasures of ancient Egypt, comparable in richness to that of Tutankhamun, and which today constitutes one of the centerpiece collections of the permanent exhibition at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
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However, the new discovery adds an additional layer of historical depth to that legacy. Sheshonq III, now unequivocally present at the site, was not just any monarch; his long reign, estimated to have spanned several decades, was marked by significant architectural contributions in the city of Tanis itself, which served as the northern capital during his dynasty.
Dr. Payraudeau, overseeing the field operations, outlined the path forward with scientific caution. The next phase of the research, he announced, will focus on conducting detailed archaeological studies of the newly identified inscriptions. At the same time, the meticulous work of cleaning the remaining sediment in the chamber will continue — a task that, centimeter by centimeter, may yield new revelations and provide the definitive evidence needed to clarify the exact circumstances surrounding the funerary deposition of Sheshonq III.
The French archaeologist remained cautious, emphasizing that the central question still lacks a definitive answer: the uncertainty regarding whether the king’s body was buried directly in this space or whether only his mortuary possessions found refuge here. He stressed that an extensive amount of work remains in order to answer these questions with the rigor that science demands.
What is unquestionable, after the meticulous dusting of these 225 faience witnesses, is that Tanis, the great capital of the Nile Delta, has spoken once again. Its voice, emerging from the depths of the earth and history, has not only resolved the identity of a silent sarcophagus, but has reopened the dossier of a dynasty, reminding the world that even in the most thoroughly explored sites, the sands still conceal echoes of kings and rituals awaiting their moment to be heard.