Cairo: Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered two Early Dynastic tombs and a number of burials dating from the Predynastic and Late periods at Gabal Al-Tair archaeological site in Minya governorate, a discovery that could reshape understanding of the evolution of ancient Egyptian funerary architecture.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said preliminary studies revealed striking similarities between the newly discovered tombs and the tomb of King Den at Abydos, underscoring the archaeological significance of the site.

One of the tombs features a rare architectural design with walls that gradually decrease in thickness from the base upward. This construction method is believed by experts to represent an early stage in the engineering concepts that later led to the development of step pyramids and true pyramids.

The mission also uncovered Predynastic burials in a crouched position accompanied by black-topped pottery dating to the Naqada II and III periods. Additionally, individual and collective burials from the Late Period were found, confirming the site's continued use as a cemetery over successive historic eras.