Archaeologists have discovered 20 well-preserved limestone sarcophagi 170 miles south of Cairo, in Minya, the ancient capital of Egypt. They contain mummified remains of high priests and others who were probably their assistants. Additionally, the burial site finds include 10,000 ushabti funerary statues, inscribed with the owners’ names, and more than 700 amulets. Some of the statues and some of the amulets are made of pure gold.
The find was announced by Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities and Tourism Khaled El-Anany on January 30th, at the Tuna El-Gabal site. The lead excavator of the mission is Moustafa Waziry. The burial ground is from Egypt’s Late Period (688-323 B.C.E.), when Egypt was periodically dominated by other powers, including Nubians, Assyrians, and Persians.
Waziry announced that one of the sarcophagi was that of the son of Psamtik, head of the royal treasury, titled priest of Osiris and Nut. Several other sarcophagi have well-preserved inscriptions and depictions of Egyptian gods. Coverage of the discovery can be read at the Daily News of Egypt.
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