Archaeologists have unearthed at least 59 sealed sarcophagi, with mummies inside most of them, at a vast necropolis south of Cairo. Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Khaled el-Anany, said Saturday that they had been buried in three wells more than 2,600 years ago.
The Saqqara plateau hosts at least 11 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid, along with hundreds of tombs of ancient officials and other sites that range from the 1st Dynasty (2920 BCE-2770 BCE) to the Coptic period (395-642).
Khaled el-Anany spoke at a news conference at the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara where the coffins were found. The sarcophagi have been displayed and one of them was opened before reporters to show the mummy inside. Several foreign diplomats attended the announcement ceremony.
Waziri explained the team had uncovered the three shafts where the coffins were laid in “perfect condition” due to a protective seal that preserved them from chemical reactions.
Waziri said archaeologists also found a total of 28 statuettes of Ptah-Soker the main god of the Saqqara necropolis, and a beautifully carved 35 cm tall bronze statuette of God Nefertum inlaid with valuable precious stones: red agate, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.
This new discovery is the latest in a series of archeological finds that Egypt has sought to publicize in an effort to boast tourism.
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