CNN sheds light on the latest archaeological discoveries in Saqqara city, where archaeologists found nearly 30 coffins believed to have been buried about 2,500 years ago, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in a report published under the title "An Egyptian tomb was found in the Saqqara cemetery that contains A huge cache of sealed coffins. "
The report indicated that the cache of closed coffins was discovered from an 11-meter (36 feet) deep burial column at Saqqara, which is a vast cemetery located 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of Cairo, after the discovery of more than ten coffins at the site earlier. As of this month, the ministry revealed via "Facebook" last Sunday that it had discovered 14 additional coffins, raising the total number that was found in the port to 27.
Although they have remained underground for thousands of years, the coffins have retained some of their original colors, and archaeologists have also uncovered a handful of smaller artifacts at the site, according to the ministry statement.
Before Sunday's announcement, Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany described the discoveries at the site as "the largest number of coffins in one cemetery since the discovery of Al-Asasif's hideout", referring to the discovery in 2019 of 30 coffins, containing mummies, which the authorities then described as the largest discovery. In Egypt for more than a century.
In a press release, Al-Anani thanked the drilling workers for working in difficult conditions while adhering to the new safety measures related to the Coronavirus.
"(It is) a very exciting discovery," he said in a video tape released by the ministry, "I think it's only the beginning."
The ministry said that all 27 coffins that were extracted from Saqqara appear completely closed, and preliminary studies indicate that they have not been opened since they were first buried, and the authorities also indicated that more coffins and artifacts were probably buried in the same location.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, said it was unclear how many other coffins could be found in the mine, or contain their remains, although archaeologists hope to provide more answers during the excavation process.
This discovery comes on the heels of a number of other important discoveries at the Saqqara cemetery site in recent months. In April, archaeologists discovered five limestone coffins and four wooden coffins containing human mummies.
The burial column, which extends 9 meters (30 feet) underground, was found containing a group of small artifacts, including statues that were usually buried in Egyptian tombs to help the deceased in the afterlife, and a small wooden obelisk was also found in the tomb. Its height is about 40 cm, and on it were depicted the Egyptian goddess Isis and Nephthys, and the god Horus, one of the most famous ancient Egyptian deities.
In December 2018, archaeologists found a private tomb for a royal purification priest dating back more than 4,000 years, according to the Ministry of Antiquities.A month earlier, archaeologists found a mass grave of cats and a group of rare scarabs.
Tue, Sep. 22, 2020
