In a startling discovery, 27 Ancient Egyptian sarcophagi have been uncovered by archaeologists in the southern site of Saqqara, south of the Egyptian capital Cairo. The find was made 36 feet underground and has involved painstaking work from a huge team.
Buried in an ancient Egyptian necropolis, the sarcophagi are believed to be 2,500 years old, and of which 13 were unearthed earlier this month while a further 14 were recovered in the last week. It is expected to be one of the most significant finds regarding ancient Egyptian artefacts in some time, though the exact individuals these burial caskets relate to is as of yet unclear.
Excitingly, according to the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry, it is the case that none of the discoveries have been opened since their burial, meaning there could be all sorts of untold finds inside. They said:
"Initial studies indicate that these coffins are completely closed and haven't been opened since they were buried."
The Saqqara site served as a necropolis for what was then Memphis, the city that was the capital of Ancient Egypt for more than 2,000 years and is currently a recognised UNESCO world heritage site.
A sarcophagus was used in Ancient Egyptian times, but also in other ancient cultures, as caskets in which to lay their mummified dead, normally pharaohs or other people of high importance. These were then often placed inside tombs or pyramids alongside treasure and religious objects. The Ancient Egyptian pharaohs even buried in their tombs all those things that they believed they would require in the afterlife, such as gold, weapons and even pets.
The current finds are made of wood and colourfully painted. They were laid alongside smaller artefacts and mummified animals, including cats, snakes, birds and crocodiles.
It is likely that the sarcophagi will first be passed through a CAT scan in order to let the team have a look inside and let the archaeologists see what they are dealing with, before then taking the step of opening them. They will then seek to piece together the story of who these individuals were, and what their position was within Egyptian society.
The find goes to show that even over 100 years after the most famous discovery of Ancient Egyptian artefacts was made, Tutankhamun's tomb, there is still a whole world of unknown history lurking beneath the sands of Egypt.
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