Pharaoh's mummy's mum Queen Sesheshet found in pyramid

Egyptian archeologists have uncovered what are thought to be the mummified remains of Queen Sesheshet, the mother of a pharaoh who ruled for 11 years in about 2300 BC. The remains were found in the sarcophagus of a pyramid south of the capital, Cairo.

The mummy was found wrapped in cloth in the 22mx4m chamber, adding that the sarcophagus appeared to have been looted. "It is believed that these remains belong to Queen Sesheshet, especially because the pyramid was not built for worship but it was a burial pyramid". Archeologists also found coins engraved with hieroglyphics and golden rings.

Queen Sesheshet was the mother of King Teti, the first pharaoh in the Sixth Dynasty. She was thought to have played a vital role in the establishment of the Sixth Dynasty, when two arms of the previous ruling family were at war. The Sixth Dynasty was considered the last of Egypt's "Old Kingdom" - there followed a time of upheaval. Queen Sesheshet's tomb was the only one of the Sixth Dynasty queens' that had not been found. One of King Teti's two wives' tombs was found more than 100 years ago, the other in 1994.

The team has been excavating the site since 1988. The pyramid is the 118th found in Egypt so far but only a handful are intact.