Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania working with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities have discovered and identified the remains of a previously unknown pharaoh, or king of ancient Egypt, named Senebkay.

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania working with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities have discovered and identified the remains of a previously unknown pharaoh, or king of ancient Egypt, named Senebkay.

His name is written on the wall in a burial chamber within the Abydos dig site, close to the city of Sohag.

An ancient list of Egyptian kings and queens reportedly had fragments of Senebkay’s name, but this is the first hard evidence that this forgotten pharaoh existed.

Josef Wegner, the lead archaeologist on the dig from the University of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying: “We discovered an unknown king plus a lost dynasty. It looks likely that all of the 16 kings are all buried there. We now have the tomb for first or second king of this dynasty. There should be a whole series of the others.”

Senebkay’s tomb looks like it was raided and his skeletal remains were disturbed.

Experts believe that Senebkay lived over 36 hundred years ago.

Evidence from analysis of the remains indicate that he lived to be in his 40s and was about 5 foot 10 inches tall.