Tomb of ancient Egyptian queen uncovered by archaeologists

30 utensils made of limestone and copper were also found

The tomb of Khentakawess III, a queen believed to have been the wife of Pharaoh Neferefre who ruled 4,500 years ago (AFP/Getty)

Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a tomb and artefacts linked to a previously unknown queen, officials have said.

Found south-west of Cairo in Abusir, the tomb is believed to belong to the wife or mother of Pharaoh Neferefre, who ruled briefly during the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom 4,500 years ago. His short reign is believed to be the reason why his pyramid – today known as “the unfinished pyramid” – was never completed.

The tomb of Khentakawess III, a queen believed to have been the wife of Pharaoh Neferefre who ruled 4,500 years ago (AFP/Getty)

Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said in a statement that the queen’s name, Khentakawess or Khentkaus, was inscribed on a wall in the necropolis and added that this would make her Khentakawess III.

Miroslav Barta, head of the Czech Institute of Egyptology mission which made the discovery, told the EFE news agency that the location of the queen's tomb made them believe that she was the wife of the pharaoh.

The Czech archaeologists also found around 30 utensils made of limestone and copper.

Artifacts found around the tomb of Khentakawess III in Egypt (AFP/Getty)

Mr el-Damaty explained that the discovery would "help shed light on certain unknown aspects of the Fifth Dynasty, which along with the Fourth Dynasty, witnessed the construction of the first pyramids".