The newly found coffins were also pulled from a depth of 10-12 meters. Experts believe that the current exploration is just the beginning of a great discovery.

Fifty-nine pristine ancient sarcophagi have been discovered at the Sakkar necropolis, and an “unknown number” of additional coffins have yet to be excavated in burial pits more than 10 meters deep, said Mustafa Vaziri, secretary general of the Supreme Archaeological Council of Egypt.

One of the more than 2,500-year-old wooden coffins, which has survived in perfect condition, was opened to journalists on Saturday to demonstrate the integrity of the finds. Attendees, including foreign diplomats, were able to see a perfectly preserved mummy with delicate features adorned with colorful hieroglyphs on the sarcophagus. The recording was also posted on Twitter:

Coffins from the time of Dynasty 26 (664-525 BC) are home to priests, high-ranking officials, and other personalities. The coffins were recently dug in three burial pits 10 to 12 meters deep, several of them just two days earlier, Mustafa Vaziri said. The first 13 sarcophagi were discovered three weeks ago and since then more and more finds have been found.

Along with the dead, 28 statues of Szokar, the falcon-headed god who guards the entrance to the underworld, one of the main deities associated with burial, were found in the tombs. A 35-centimeter-high bronze statue of Nofertum was also discovered, in which the crown-shaped lotus flower on the deity’s head is adorned with precious stones, red agate, turquoise, and enamel. It was owned by an ancient priest known as Badi Amun, whose name was engraved on the bottom of the statue.

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According to Mustafa Vaziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Archeology of Egypt, the excellent condition of the coffins is due to the fact that they were covered with a protective agent that inhibited chemical reactions. According to Halid al-Inani, Minister of Monuments, the excavation of about 60 coffins does not mean the end of the excavation, on the contrary, he is convinced that “it is only the beginning of a great discovery.”

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The extraordinary finds discovered 30 kilometers south of Cairo are scheduled to be presented to the general public at the Grand Museum of Egypt, due to open next year.

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