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Big find in Egypt, archaeologists applaud: 14 more sarcophagi have been discovered in the ancient Egyptian tomb of Saqqara. The coffins had been underground for 2,500 years until archaeologists found them during an excavation on Friday, the Egyptian Interior Ministry announced on Sunday.
Only the previous week, 13 wooden sarcophagi had been discovered there. The Saqqara necropolis is located 25 kilometers south of the famous pyramids of Giza. The site is part of the ancient city of Memphis, the remains of which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Untouched for 2500 years: Sealed wooden coffins discovered in Egypt(00:59)
“Just the beginning”
Photographs of the newly discovered wooden sarcophagi showed that they were painted with brown and blue paint and labeled with hieroglyphs. The Antiquities Ministry announced the discovery in a video earlier this month. The latest finds in Saqqara are “just the beginning,” said Antiquities and Tourism Minister Chaled al-Anani.
For a few years, the Egyptian authorities regularly announce new archaeological finds. With this they want to boost tourism, which is important for the economy of the North African country and which was the last hit by the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. After a three-month shutdown, the Giza pyramids and other archaeological sites were reopened to visitors in July. (SDA / kes)
