The Egyptian government has uncovered a treasure trove of more than thirteen intact human wooden coffins dating back 2500 years in a burial well in the necropolis of the Saqqara Desert.
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the effects on Facebook on September 6, adding that most of the coffins gave the impression that they had not been disturbed for millennia.
According to the ministry, the sarcophagus were discovered in a burial well about 11 meters underground, stacked on top of each other, so well preserved that you can still see some of the colors painted on the wood. decided that they had been sealed as soon as they were buried.
Three sealed niches have also been discovered inside the cemetery, and archaeologists expect to see more coffins, Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled Al-Anani told Science Alert.
Excavation paintings on it are still ongoing.
“An indescribable feeling when you witness a new archaeological discovery,” Al-Anani wrote on Twitter, thanking his colleagues. “Keep an eye out for the announcement of a new discovery in Saqqara,” he added, “posting a promotional video that reports on long-term revelations. of the site.
The ministry is expected to release a series of promotional films containing new main points about the burial site.
The vast burial complex of Saqqarah, which would have been the former capital of Memphis, is located 30 km south of Cairo. Experts say Saqqarah had been an active burial place for Egyptians for 3,000 years, where others in the upper and lower social categories were buried.
The tombs of the cusp of the aristocracy and officials, less difficult to find, given the elaborate way they were buried, have already been discovered to maintain burial elements such as their cartridges and even the remains of mummified animals. recent excavations gave the impression of being easier burials of middle-class and working-class people.
Many richly buried tombs have been looted in recent decades and with the new discovery of absolutely intact and un opened coffins, archaeologists hope to locate intact burial elements inside, which experts say could potentially identify the remains and their social status.
An archaeological recovery technician works on an ancient Egyptian mummy in a laboratory at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, March 17, 2014. Image: Reuters