Egypt unveils 59 ancient coffins in major archaeological discovery
Egypt unveils 59 ancient coffins in major archaeological discovery
The discovery of 59 well-preserved and sealed wooden coffins that were buried more than 2,500 years ago was announced by archaeologists in Egypt.
On Saturday, the team revealed mummified remains wrapped in burial cloth that bore hieroglyphic inscriptions in bright colours, opening one of the ornately decorated sarcophagi before assembled media.
South of Cairo, in the sprawling burial ground of Saqqara, the necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a dramatic find was uncovered.
“We are very happy about this discovery,” said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Since the find of the first 13 coffins was announced almost three weeks ago, more have been discovered in shafts at depths of up to 12 metres (40 feet).
An unknown number of additional coffins may still lie buried there, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said at the site, near the 4,700-year-old pyramid of Djoser.
The coffins, sealed more than 2,500 years ago, date back to the Late Period of ancient Egypt, from about the sixth or seventh century BC, the minister added.
“I have witnessed the opening of one of the coffins … the mummy seems as if it was mummified yesterday,” al-Anani said.
Excavations in Saqqara have in recent years unearthed troves of artefacts as well as mummified snakes, birds, scarab beetles and other animals.
Major discovery
The discovery of the coffins is the first big announcement since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Egypt, which led to the closure of museums and archaeological sites for some three months since late March.
Dozens of statues were also found in the area including a bronze figurine depicting Nefertem, an ancient god of the lotus blossom.
Preliminary studies indicated the sarcophagi likely belonged to priests, senior statesman and prominent figures in the ancient Egyptian society of the 26th dynasty, al-Anani said.
All the coffins would be taken to the soon-to-be-opened Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau, he added.
They would be placed opposite a hall hosting 32 other sealed sarcophagi for priests from the 22nd dynasty, which were found last year in the southern city of Luxor.
The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has been delayed several times, is planned for 2021.
The museum will host thousands of artefacts, spanning multiple eras of Egypt’s history, from the pre-dynastic to the Greco-Roman period.
Egypt hopes a flurry of archaeological finds in recent years and the new museum will boost its vital tourism sector, which has suffered multiple shocks since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, most recently the coronavirus pandemic.