CAIRO – Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a treasure trove of ancient coffins in a vast necropolis south of Cairo, the government said Monday.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in one that archaeologists discovered the collection of colorful and sealed sarcophagus buried more than 2500 years ago in the saqqara necropolis.
Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said more than coffins had been found.
Archaeologists also discovered colorful and golden statues, the ministry said. Details of the new discovery will be announced at a press convention in Djoser’s famous stepped pyramid, he said.
Egypt has sought to publicize its archaeological findings in an effort to revive its key tourism sector, which has been greatly affected by the unrest that followed the 2011 uprising and which has also suffered this year the blow of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly and Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khalid el-Anany visited the domain and inspected the new discovery, which came here just over two weeks after the ministry revealed 59 sealed sarcophagus, usually with mummies inside, in the same saqqarah community. .
Saqqara is part of the necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, which includes the famous pyramids of Giza, as well as smaller pyramids in Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s.
The plateau houses at least 11 pyramids, adding the stepped pyramid, as well as plenty of tombs of former officials and other sites ranging from the 1st dynasty (2920-2770 BC) to the Coptic era (395-642).