New Evidence Links Uninscribed Sarcophagus and 225 Ushabti to King Shoshenq III in San el-Hagar
Tanis in the Sharqiya Governorate has once again offered a remarkable glimpse into Egypt’s royal past. A French archaeological mission working at the San el-Hagar site, led by Dr. Frédéric Payraudeau of Sorbonne University, has uncovered a significant group of 225 funerary figurines belonging to King Shoshenq III inside one of the most celebrated royal tombs of the Third Intermediate Period.
The discovery was made in the northern chamber of the tomb of King Osorkon II of the Twenty-Second Dynasty, a site famous since 1939 for the treasures now known as the Tanis Hoard, displayed today at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.
The ushabti were found in their original place, buried within compact layers of silt near an uninscribed granite sarcophagus that had been discovered earlier without a confirmed owner. The new find provides the clearest evidence so far that the sarcophagus belonged to King Shoshenq III, one of the dynasty’s most important rulers and a king whose architectural projects helped shape the ancient city of Tanis.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, visited the excavation and described the discovery as a major milestone for Tanis, calling it the most significant development in the site’s royal tombs since 1946. He noted that the find helps resolve a long-standing archaeological mystery and opens space for new research on royal burial customs during this period.
Scholars will now examine whether Shoshenq III was originally interred in the tomb of Osorkon II or whether his funerary equipment was later moved into the chamber for protection. He also highlighted the strong cooperation between the French mission and the Egyptian archaeological authorities, adding that the site of Tanis still holds vast potential for future discoveries.
Ongoing excavations and conservation work are essential because Tanis was one of the primary royal centers of the Third Intermediate Period.
Mohamed Abdel-Badea, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, confirmed that the team documented previously unknown inscriptions within the same chamber. These new texts will help refine current understanding of the development of royal tomb architecture and burial practices during the Twenty-Second Dynasty.
Dr. Hesham Hussein, Head of the Central Department for Delta Antiquities, explained that the French mission has been working at Tanis since 1929 in a long-standing partnership with the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The latest discovery came as part of a preparatory phase for a comprehensive protection project at the royal necropolis. The plan includes installing a modern protective shelter over the tombs, cleaning the architectural elements inside and outside the chambers, and undertaking extensive desalination work.
Dr. Frédéric Payraudeau added that the mission will now undertake detailed archaeological studies of the newly uncovered inscriptions in the northern chamber of the tomb of Osorkon II. Further cleaning and documentation may reveal additional information about the burial arrangements of Shoshenq III. It is still uncertain whether the king was buried directly in this tomb or whether his funerary equipment was relocated during antiquity to safeguard it from looting. The team expects that continued work will shed new light on these unresolved questions.
