CAIRO – Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Saturday that archaeologists have unearthed dozens of ancient coffins in a necropolis south of Cairo.
Khalid el-Anany said at least 59 sealed sarcophagus were discovered, most of them with mummies inside, which had been buried in 3 wells more than 2,600 years ago.
He spoke at a press convention at the famous stepped pyramid of Zoser in Saqqarah, where the coffins were found. The sarcophagus was exposed and one of them opened in front of the hounds to show the mummy inside. Several foreign diplomats attended the announcement ceremony.
The Saqqara 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 First Dynasty (2920 BC). J. -C. -2770 BC) She was a coptic (395-642).
“I think this will be the beginning of a wonderful discovery,” el-Anany said, adding that there are an unknown number of coffins that have yet to be discovered.
Egyptian antique officials announced the discovery of the first batch of coffins last month, when archaeologists discovered thirteen of the boxes in a newly discovered 36-foot (11-meter) deep well.
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.
El-Anany said Saqqara’s coffins would be searched for 30 ancient wooden coffins discovered in October in the southern city of Luxor and will be presented at the new Great Egyptian Museum, which Egypt is building near the pyramids of Giza.
The discovery of Saqqarah is the latest in a series of archaeological discoveries that Egypt has tried to throw over its key tourism sector, which has been affected by the riots that followed the 2011 uprising. global coronavirus pandemic.