Published 06:22 IST, October 4th 2020
Egypt showcases 59 ancient coffins discovered near Saqqara pyramids in Cairo
Egypt's minister of tourism said this was just the “beginning of a big discovery” and added more coffins were expected to be found in the same area.
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Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered dozens of ancient coffins in a vast necropolis south of Cairo. The discovery of the coffins was announced by Egypt's tourism and antiquities minister Khalid el-Anany on Saturday, October 3. According to reports, as many as 59 sealed sarcophagi were discovered and most of them contain mummies. Experts believe that the coffins were buried in multiple wells more 2,600 years ago.
More unearthed coffins expected in same area
As per reports, the Egyptian minister said this was just the “beginning of a big discovery” and added more coffins were expected in the same area that were yet not been unearthed. As per reports, the coffins were discovered at the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara and all of them have been put on display, with one even being opened so as to show the mummy that lay inside.
According to reports, there are 11 pyramids in the Saqqara plateau which houses hundreds of tombs. Initial studies into the origin of the coffins show that the decorated coffins were made for priests, top officials and elites from the Pharaonic Late Period (664-525 B.C.). The Saqqara site is a part of a necropolis of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis. The ruins of Memphis were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site back in the 1970s.
As per reports, the newly unearthed coffins will join 30 wooden coffins that were discovered in the southern city of Luxor earlier and will be showcased at the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which Egypt is building near the Giza Pyramids. These recent archaeological discoveries have been widely publicised by Egypt in an attempt to revive and boost its tourism industry that suffered a decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(With AP inputs)
06:22 IST, October 4th 2020