Egypt has announced the discovery of a collection of more than 13 intact sealed coffins, dating back to 2,500 years ago. The coffins were found at an archeological site in Saqqara necropolis in Giza, according to the Egyptian ministry of tourism and Antiquities.
The statement released by the ministry indicated that the coffins, along with three sealed niches, were unearthed inside an 11-meter-deep shaft. Recently the minister of tourism and antiquities, Khaled al-Anany and the general secretary of the supreme council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri have visited the site to inspect the excavation work in the shaft.
The minister indicated that, the current recovery in Saqqara marks the largest number of coffins found in one burial place since October last year.
“The discovery in Saqqara includes a wonderful collection of colored wooden coffins whose colors and inscriptions are still in a good condition despite the passage of 2,500 years”, Waziri, who leads the Egyptian archaeological mission in Saqqara said.
The exact number of coffins unearthed as well as the identity and titles of their owners have not yet been determined, Waziri added.
He further indicated that the coffins will be identified in the coming days as the excavation works continues.
“The mission continues excavation work on the site and it is expected to result in many other new discoveries of shafts, colored wooden coffins and statues”, Khaled al-Anany said.
The Egyptian ministry of tourism and Antiquities stated that initial studies have shown that the coffins are completely sealed and have not been opened since they were buried inside the shaft.
This is not the first time ancient coffins are being discovered in Egypt. The US in September 2019, returned to Egyptian authorities a golden coffin looted by art thieves to New York.
In October 2019, 30 ancient coffins were discovered at Asasif cemetery in Upper Egypt’s Luxor province.
The discovery of 30 colored coffins belonging to men, women and children in 2019 was described by the tourism minister as the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century.
