Dozens of 2,500-year-old coffins found in Egypt’s giant Sakkara necropolis went on display Saturday.
59 coffins belonging to 26th Dynasty Egyptian priests and clerks were found south of Cairo in August. He was buried in three 30- to 40-foot shafts, including 28 statues of the ancient Egyptian god Seker, according to a Reuters report.
Mustafa al-Waziri, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the coffins were in perfect condition due to a protective seal that would allow them to avoid chemical reactions for centuries. Preliminary studies show that the decorated coffins were made for priests, high officials and the upper class of the Pharaonic Late Period (664-525 BC).
An inside mummy was opened in front of reporters for reporters outside, the Associated Press reported.
Excavations began in 2018, the Egyptian Archaeological Mission behind the discovery. Earlier finds include mummified animal kalash and a well-preserved tomb of a fifth-dynasty royal priest named “Vahti”.
The Sakkara Plateau hosts at least 11 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid, with hundreds of ancient officials and other sites dating from the 1st Dynasty (2920 BC-2770 BC) to the Coptic period (395-642).
The mission, expected to open next year, will continue to open coffins and study their contents before their final exhibition at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
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