A large collection of sealed sarcophagi and figurines have been discovered at the Saqqara Necropolis in Giza.
One of the 2,500-year-old sarcophagi has been opened for the first time, revealing a mummified body of a nobleman wrapped in burial cloth that featured hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The amazing discovery was found in the burial ground of Saqqara where 59 anthropoid painted coffins have been unearthed.
Most of the tombs contained mummified bodies which research suggests would’ve been elites, top officials, and priests in ancient Egyptian society.
All of the remains would have likely been subjected to the burial rituals of ancient Egypt after they passed away, including having their brains removed from their nostrils with an iron hook.
The find was announced by Dr. Khaled El-Enany, the Minister of Antiquities and Tourism.
El-Enany said: “Today I can say most of the discoveries have been made by Egyptian teams on Egyptian soil. This is something I am immensely proud of.”
He also said that the mission had unearthed a burial shaft 36 feet deep and discovered 13 intact coffins.
The team then found two more shafts filled with tombs and all are in good condition.
“My colleagues in the Supreme Council of Antiquities discovered burial shafts filled with wooden, sealed and intact coffins,” El-Enany said.
“I am really impressed that Covid-19 did not stop them from digging to unveil more mystery and secrets about our great civilization.”
Mostafa Waziri, the secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, also said: “We are very happy about this discovery.”
The minister said the tombs found would be displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Khaled al-Anani, the tourism and antiquities minister, added: “So today is not the end of the discovery. I consider it the beginning of the big discovery.”
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Replaced!