5,000 year old cemetery has been unearthed in Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt, officials said on Saturday 5/7/2008.

The cemetery is believed to be of senior royal staffers or persons who participated in the establishment of the royal tombs. It contains 13 tombs.

The cemetery was discovered by a mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Umm el-Ga'ab area, south of Sohag's Abydos archaeological city.

The mission also found a group of wooden caskets, containing embalmed remains, as well as a "Senet" game which resembles chess.

This is the second time an ancient Egyptian Senet game is discovered. The first was found in King Tutankhamen's tomb.