Stunning find in Egypt: Trove of sealed 2,500-year-old human coffins
Egyptian authorities hint this "is only the beginning."
Egypt's cultural heritage has suffered damage over the years due to looting and unauthorized excavations of historic burial sites. That's why a newly discovered collection of intact wood coffins found in a burial well in Saqqara is cause for excitement.
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery on social media over the weekend. Saqqara is a massive necropolis next to the ancient city of Memphis.
The ministry said archaeologists had found more than 13 human coffins, most of which appear to have remained sealed for over 2,500 years, indicating they'd thankfully escaped looting.
Khaled El-Enany, minister of tourism and antiquities, shared a teaser video about the find. "An indescribable feeling when you witness a new archaeological discovery," he tweeted.
شعور لا يقارن كلما تشهد كشف اثري جديد،
— Khaled El-Enany (@KhaledElEnany6) September 6, 2020
انتظروا الاعلان عن كشف اثري جديد بسقارة، شكرا لزملائي بالوزارة.
An indescribable feeling when you witness a new archeological discovery.
Stay tuned for the announcement of a new discovery in Saqqara
Thank you to my colleagues in the ministry pic.twitter.com/RpgK6TmREo
The video doesn't give too much away, but the minister suggests the early finds are only the beginning of something bigger. The ministry intends to release a series of promotional films with new details about the burial site.
The archaeological team did peek inside one of the Saqqara coffins.
The archaeological team will work to uncover more artifacts and also try to identify the people inside the coffins and their positions in ancient Egyptian society.
An enigmatic granite sarcophagus made news in 2018 when authorities opened it up and discovered a weird red liquid along with remains inside. The internet went a little overboard with wanting to taste-test the substance. That shouldn't be an issue this time around. The wood coffins appear to be plenty dry.