Archaeologists unearthed 27 sarcophagi in an ancient Egyptian city of the dead. They've been sealed for more than 2,500 years.
- Archaeologists found 27 new sarcophagi in an ancient city of the dead beneath Saqqara, Egypt.
- The wooden coffins are perfectly sealed — they've remained undisturbed for 2,500 years since the bodies inside were mummified.
- Last year, Egyptologists discovered a trove of mummified lion cubs, crocodiles, and cobras in Saqqara.
More than two millennia ago, 27 Egyptians were laid to rest in Saqqara, an ancient city of the dead. Their organs were removed, and their bodies wrapped in linens. Priests placed them inside wooden boxes adorned with hieroglyphics.
The mummies stayed buried in those sarcophagi for 2,500 years — until their recent discovery by Egyptian archaeologists.
The finding is one of Egypt's largest in over a century.
It happened in two parts: In early September, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced more than a dozen coffins had been found in a burial shaft under the ancient city of Saqqara. Then two weeks later, the shaft yielded a second set of sarcophagi.
"Initial studies indicate that these coffins are completely closed and haven't been opened since they were buried," the ministry said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
The photos below show how archaeologists found the sarcophagi,and other mummies buried beneath Saqqara.
The first finding that Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced was a set of 13 sarcophagi found at the bottom of a 36-foot-deep shaft.
He was right: On Sunday, the ministry announced that archaeologists had found 14 more sarcophagi.
Despite being buried for 2,500 years, the sarcophagi have retained most of their original paint and hieroglyphics. The coffins have been sealed since their burial.
The identities of the people inside the sarcophagi "have not been determined," the ministry said on Sunday, but suggested the question "will be answered over the next few days" as excavations continue.
The archaeologists also uncovered various artifacts in the burial shaft, including small statues and figurines.
The ancient Egyptians buried their dead in Saqqara — which is 20 miles south of Cairo in the Western Desert — for some 3,000 years.
Saqqara is home to one of Egypt's oldest pyramids: the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which was built about 4,600 years ago.
The necropolis is replete with mummies.
Researchers also unearthed a huge cache of animal mummies there in November 2019.
The mummified lion cubs are about 2,600 years old.
"This is the first time [a] complete mummy of a lion or lion cub" has been found in Egypt, Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a press conference.
Next Story
A gold miner found a mysterious grapefruit-sized fur ball. It turned out to be a 'perfectly preserved' 30,000-year-old squirrel.
Leaked Pentagon docs show the shot-down Chinese spy balloon may have had a feature known as 'synthetic aperture radar' that can see through certain materials, WaPo reports
Best scooters under ₹50,000 in India: TVS XL100, Komaki XGT KM, and more
Sensex, Nifty50 likely to open on a negative note amid mixed global cues: HDFC Bank, Infosys, Tata Motors among stocks in news
Excited to build on Apple's long-standing history in India: Tim Cook
Easing commodity prices & softening inflation likely to boost Q4 earnings of FMCG companies
