Egyptian archaeologists said Saturday that they have discovered 59 well-preserved and sealed coffins in recent weeks buried more than 2500 years ago.
By opening one of the richly decorated sarcophagus before the media gathered, the team mummified the remains wrapped in a burial cloth with brightly colored hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The spectacular discovery was unearthed south of Cairo in the vast saqqara cemetery, the necropolis of the former Egyptian capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One of the well-preserved sarcophagus was unveiled in the Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara on October 3, 2020 Photo: AFP / Khaled DESOUKI
“We are very much with this discovery,” said Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Since the discovery of the first thirteen coffins approximately 3 weeks ago, others have been discovered in wells at depths of up to 40 feet (12 meters).
An undetermined number of additional coffins may still be buried there, said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani near the 4700-year-old Djoser Pyramid.
Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anani (left) and Mostafa Waziri (right), secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, open a sarcophagus excavated in Saqqara Necropolis Photo: AFP / Khaled DESOUKI
“So today is not the end of discovery, but the beginning of wonderful discovery,” he said.
The coffins, sealed more than 2,500 years ago, date back to the defeated era of ancient Egypt, around the 6th or 7th century BC, the minister added.
Excavations in Saqqarah have exposed treasures of artifacts in recent years, such as snakes, birds, beetles and other mummified animals.
The discovery of coffins is the first main announcement since the Covid-19 epidemic in Egypt, which led to the closure of museums and archaeological sites for approximately 3 months Photo: AFP / Khaled DESOUKI
The discovery of the coffins is the first major announcement since the Covid-19 epidemic in Egypt, which led to the closure of museums and archaeological sites for about 3 months from the end of March.
Dozens of statues have also been discovered in the area, a bronze figure depicting Nefertem, an ancient god of the lotus flower.
Preliminary studies have indicated that the sarcophagus belonged to priests, experienced statesmen and prominent figures from the ancient Egyptian society of the 26th dynasty, Anani said.
All coffins would be taken to the Great Egyptian Museum, which will open on the Giza Plateau, he added.
They would be placed in front of a room that housed 32 other sealed sarcophagus for priests of the 22nd dynasty, discovered last year in the southern city of Luxor.
The opening of the Great Egyptian Museum, which has been delayed in schedule, is scheduled for 2021.
The museum will house thousands of artifacts, covering various eras of Egyptian history, from the forecast era to the Greco-Roman era.
Egypt expects a wave of archaeological discoveries in recent years and the Great Egyptian Museum will bring its important tourism sector to life, which has suffered shocks since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, the pandemic’s recent highest.