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Saqqara once served as a burial site in the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Researchers constantly find well-preserved evidence of the past there. Like now: 100 wooden coffins, 40 statues and at least one mummy.
In the Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara, archaeologists have again discovered dozens of excellently preserved sarcophagi. In all, there are more than 100 coffins that have been closed, Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khalid al-Anani said. The find also included around 40 statues.
According to official information, wooden coffins more than 2,000 years old were found in three twelve-meter deep pits south of Cairo. For researchers, it is the biggest find of this year. One of the coffins was reportedly opened. Inside was a mummy wrapped in a shroud and adorned with colorful hieroglyphic images, the researchers said. According to them, 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.
Not the first find this year
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. Archaeologists only found about 60 sarcophagi there in October, which were in very good condition. 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.
According to the minister of antiquity, archaeologists can expect more discoveries at the site. “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.
The coffins will be exhibited in the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is currently being built on top of 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.
