Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Unopened sarcophagi buried for 2,500 years unearthed from Egyptian tomb

Sealed coffins were found well-preserved with their original colours intact

Brodie Owen
Monday 21 September 2020 12:43 BST
Comments
A total of 27 sarcophagi have been discovered in an Egyptian tomb.
A total of 27 sarcophagi have been discovered in an Egyptian tomb. (Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities )

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered 27 sarcophagi believed to have been buried more than 2,500 years ago.

The closed coffins were unearthed from an 11-metre deep tomb in Saqqara, a sacred site about 20 miles south of the capital Cairo.

Thirteen coffins were discovered earlier this month but a further 14 were announced on Sunday.

The wooden coffins are said to be well-preserved and some have even retained their original colours, despite being buried underground for millennia. 

They were found completely sealed and haven’t been opened since their burial thousands of years ago, authorities said.

Egypt tourism and antiquities minister Khaled El-Enany said the find was one of the largest of its kind.

“It is the largest number of coffins in one burial since the discovery of the Al-Asasif cachette,” he said, referring to the 2019 discovery of 30 coffins, one of the most significant discoveries in more than a century.

He thanked excavation workers for operating in difficult conditions, including new coronavirus-related safety measures.

“It’s a very exciting discovery,” he said. “I think it’s only the beginning.”

It is unclear exactly how many more sarcophagi might be discovered in the well but the ministry said it hoped to reveal more “secrets” at a future press conference.

Saqqara, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was an active burial ground for more than 3,000 years.

In April, archaeologists discovered five limestone sarcophagi and four wooden coffins containing human mummies.  

They were found in a burial shaft nine metres below ground.

Among the artefacts in the shaft was a 40-centimetre tall wooden obelisk featuring depictions of Egyptian goddesses.  

Last year, archaeologists also discovered a “one of a kind” tomb belonging to a high priest dating back 4,000 years.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in