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At the Saqqara necropolis near Cairo, archaeologists have once again made a spectacular find: they uncovered dozens of well-preserved sarcophagi from ancient Egyptian times. In total, there are more than 100 coffins that were closed, said senior Egyptian minister Khalid Al-Anani during a news conference on Saturday. The find also included around 40 statues.
According to Al-Anani, the coffins date from the late period of Ancient Egypt about 2,500 years ago and the later Ptolemaic period. They were found in three graves twelve meters deep. One of the coffins was reportedly opened.
Inside was a mummy, wrapped in a shroud and decorated with colorful hieroglyphic images. According to archaeologists, the sarcophagi belonged to high-ranking officials who lived in the Late Period (700-300 BC) and the Ptolemaic Period (323-30 BC) of ancient Egypt.
“More graves of humans and animals”
Egypt had already announced several spectacular finds at Saqqara this year. In early October, the Ministry of Antiquities reported the discovery of a total of 59 coffins in very good condition, which had also been locked up for about 2,500 years.
Local archaeologists now await more discoveries. “Saqqara has only released about one percent of what is hidden there,” Al-Anani said. “If we continue working, we can expect to find more human and animal graves.” The excavations are far from over.
Saqqara is located on the Nile south of Cairo and served as a cemetery for the capital of the Memphis Empire in Pharaonic times. The tourist attraction is a UNESCO world heritage site. The Saqqara pyramids are considered a “great masterpiece of architectural design”, as UNESCO writes. There is also the famous 5,000 year old step pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser.
The coffins that have now been discovered will be exhibited in the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is currently being built at the pyramids of Giza. It will open to visitors next year and, according to the operator, will house the largest archaeological collection in the world.
