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Unearthing Collection of 100 Sarcophagi Dated Over 2,500 Years


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Egyptian archeologists unveiled to the world in October of last year that they have unearthed over 100 wooden sarcophagi from a large burial ground in Southern Cairo. Among the artifacts discovered include 20 wooden crates containing the falcon-headed god Horus, a cache of statues, and four masks made of gold.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, many of the decorated sarcophagi contained the mummified bodies of noble figures dated over 2,500 years ago. They also discovered a large collection of cat statues, bird statues, and other favored animals.

Based on when these noblemen were buried, archeologists theorized that they came from the Late Period from 664 BC to 332 BC, as well as from the Ptolemaic Dynasty that ruled for an additional 300 years to until 30 BC, according to a press conference led by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled el-Anany.

During the press conference, a coffin was examined and opened, revealing the mummy within. They scanned the mummy with an x-ray, showing that the man was in excellent health before dying at the age of between 40 and 45 years.

El-Anany announced that the ancient artifacts would be split up and transported to four museums—the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Egyptian Museum of Tahrir, and the Museum of the New Administrative Capital.

Saqqara is one of the most excavated areas of Egypt for its high numbers of decorated tombs, one of which can be found in the first pyramids ever researched, the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Over the centuries, burial sites in Saqqara have become damaged by looters and illegal digging. The fact that archeologists found an entire burial ground with its statues and wooden coffins still intact is beyond amazing.


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