Osireion keystone reported to bear cartouche on underside, awaiting authentication

October 26, 2026EgyptArchitectureShare

▶

Key facts

• The group received two hours of exclusive access to the Osireion at Abydos and were permitted to climb to the top of the limestone retaining walls.
• At the top of the wall are dovetail-shaped keystones that cannot be seen from ground level; two were described as in situ.
• One keystone had reportedly been lifted and turned over, and according to the guide Ben, a cartouche is visible on its underside; the presenters did not see this themselves.
• The cartouche is described as crude and possibly graffiti rather than an original royal inscription, and the stone is in storage awaiting inspection and authentication.
• The presenters noted it would be unusual for a cartouche to be hidden on an underside, since cartouches are normally placed for display and reading.
• They discussed the hypothesis that the Osireion structures were reused from an earlier, possibly Old Kingdom construction and that the keystones are Middle Kingdom reinforcement or repair elements.
• They compared the claim to Khufu's single graffiti cartouche inside the Great Pyramid, which they consider thin evidence for attribution.

← All stories

AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.