At
Elkab, the Tomb of Sobeknakht II is known as Tomb 66 (10). It is one of the best preserved and most richly decorated tombs of the Egyptian Second Intermediate Period. It is hewn out of the sandstone rock cliffs and consists of two rectangular chambers connected by a central doorway.
Archeological history The tomb was discovered in the 19th century; The inscription was made with red paint on the doorway between the two internal chambers. It records a massive
Nubian invasion, aided by peoples from the
land of Punt and the
Medjay, on the small and fragile 16th or 17th Dynasty city state of
Thebes. Sobeknakht II claims to have strengthened El-Kab's defenses, mustered a fighting force, and launched a counter-attack, which was victorious due to the aid of the vulture-goddess
Nekhbet A celebration is attended by an unnamed Egyptian king, and Sobeknakht endows the temple of Nekhbet with "a new sacred barque worked in electrum." A vessel with Sobeknakht's name was discovered in Sudan, which seems to corroborate the events depicted. It also hints that Sobeknakht's tomb had already been filled and finished by the time of the invasion, and that the red text was added as a late addition to reflect these new events in his life, the corridor being the only remaining space left to complete such a task. ==Datation==