A joint mission of Egyptian and international archaeologists in Abydos has discovered an unlooted tomb belonging to a high-ranking 17th-Dynasty official designated as the 'Overseer of Foreign Trade.' The burial chamber contained a pristine wooden sarcophagus and, most significantly, a cache of papyrus scrolls detailing maritime exchanges with the distant land of Meluhha (ancient Indus-Saraswati region).
The scrolls provide a rare account of the logistics of the spice and gemstone trade, mentioning the arrival of 'blue-stone' (Lapis Lazuli) and 'scented wood' (Sandalwood) via Red Sea routes. This find confirms that trade between Egypt and the Indian subcontinent remained active even during the politically fragmented Second Intermediate Period of Egypt.