Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim Ali announced yesterday that archaeologists have discovered the name of a previously unknown pharaoh from the 17th dynasty. The French archaeological mission, headed by Christopher Tiers, were were restoring the Temple of Ptah in the region of the Amun Ra temple in Luxor and discovered a limestone door that dates back to the 17th dynasty that was inscribed the king’s name, "Nekht En Ra". The Luxor Times illustrates the block (though the author of the note reads the inscription illustrated as “Sen Nakht N’ Ra”, which does indeed seem to be what the hieroglyphs say). This is all very odd because there are already known two kings both of the seventeenth dynasty called Senakhtenre. 
This (left) is the cartouche of the first of them.Just a few hours ago the French team announced the true nature of the discovery ("A Pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty identified at Karnak ...") and pictured the block. It would seem that Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim Ali has for the second time in a week been misled into making a public announcement that it would have been better to check out before saying it. The pharaoh is not "unknown", but this is the first inscription bearing his name which is contemporary with his reign.
"The minister called for excavations to continue, saying other architectural elements that belong to the king might be discovered".It would seem that the Ministerial priority in announcing discoveries of other archaeologists established under Hawass survives. It is a shame that the Minister seems to have difficulties establishing the facts then.
(Hat tip to Chuck Jones)
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