Egypt unveils ancient coffins and mummies found in huge necropolis

Egyptian antiquities officials have announced the discovery of at least 100 ancient coffins, some with mummies inside, and around 40 gilded statues in a vast Pharaonic necropolis south of Cairo.

Colourful, sealed sarcophagi and statues that were buried more than 2,500 years ago were displayed in a makeshift exhibit at the foot of the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.

Archaeologists opened a coffin with a well-preserved mummy wrapped in cloth inside. They also X‐rayed the structures of the ancient mummy, showing how the body had been preserved.

Tourism and antiquities minister Khaled el-Anany told a news conference that the discovered items date back to the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt for 300 years — from around 320BC to about 30BC, and the Late Period (664-332BC).

He said experts would move the artefacts to at least three Cairo museums including the Grand Egyptian Museum which is being built near the famed Giza Pyramids. He added that they would announce another discovery at the Saqqara necropolis later this year.

The discovery is the latest in a series of archaeological finds in Egypt. Since September, antiquities authorities have revealed at least 140 sealed sarcophagi, with mummies inside most of them, in the same area of Saqqara.

Published: 14/11/2020 by Radio NewsHub