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One pharaoh’s ushaptis found in another pharaoh’s tomb
The French archaeological mission has discovered ushabti figurines belonging to one pharaoh in the tomb of an another pharaoh in Tanis, northern Egypt. Archaeologists found 225 faience ushabtis in the tomb of Osorkon II (r. 874-850 B.C.), but hieroglyphs on the figurines identified them as belonging to Shoshenq III (r. 825-773 B.C.).
The limestone tomb was first discovered next to the Temple of Amun in 1939 by French Egyptologist Pierre Montet. It had been looted in antiquity, but in the largest of the four chambers was the granite sarcophagus of 22nd Dynasty pharaoh Osorkon II. The sarcophagus contained his canopic jars and other figurines. The sarcophaguses of his son and father were also found in the tomb, as was an empty, uninscribed granite sarcophagus.
As part of a preparatory stage of a project to protect the tomb from environmental dangers, the interior and the exterior were thoroughly cleaned. The team was cleaning of the silt floor northern chamber of the tomb when it discovered the ushabtis. They were still undisturbed in their original location near the unmarked sarcophagus.
The discovery is the key to unlocking the mystery of who the sarcophagus belongs to. Since the ushabtis bear the name of Shoshenq III and newly-discovered wall inscriptions also mention him, the sarcophagus is likely his as well. He could have been moved into an unmarked coffin in his predecessor’s tomb to keep his body safe incognito. Interestingly, the tomb that is supposed to be Shoshenq III’s contains some artifacts inscribed with the name of Shoshenq IV. It’s possible Shoshenq IV claimed the tomb and reburied Shoshenq III in Osorkon II’s tomb.
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