Mummified Remains Found in Burial Shaft in Egypt

While most of us can only explore Egypt’s pyramids and ancient wonders online, ongoing excavations continue to reveal the country’s rich historical past.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has revealed the discovery of five limestone sarcophagi and four wooden coffins containing mummies, all found in a burial shaft nine meters deep underground.

The burial shaft is located within the Sacred Animal Necropolis in Saqqara, an ancient site about 20 miles south of Cairo, which also houses landmarks like the Step Pyramid, the world’s oldest pyramid.

The discovery details were shared through a video posted on the ministry’s Facebook page earlier this month.

Among the items unearthed from the shaft are 365 faience ushabti figurines, some bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions. Ushabti are small statues placed in Egyptian tombs to assist the deceased in the afterlife.

Inside the burial shaft, a small wooden obelisk measuring about 40 centimeters tall was found, decorated with depictions of the Egyptian goddesses Isis, associated with rebirth, and Nephthys, connected to death, along with the god Horus, one of ancient Egypt’s most revered deities.

These small artifacts have been removed from the shaft for restoration. Meanwhile, the sarcophagi and wooden coffins are undergoing restoration within the shaft itself, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Archaeological work in this area began in April 2018 and is still in progress.

In the video, Khaled Al-Anani, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, mentions that workers are “maintaining the necessary distance” to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

Incredible Discoveries

There has been a surge of recent archaeological finds in Egypt, driven by ongoing restoration efforts.

On April 24, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of a mummy dating back to Egypt’s 17th Dynasty, around 1550 BCE.

A joint Egyptian-Spanish archaeological team uncovered the coffin at the Draa Abul Naga necropolis in Luxor, located in southern Egypt.

The mummified young woman is believed to have been around 15 or 16 years old at the time of her death. According to Mohamed Abdul Budaiya, head of the Central Administration of Upper Egypt, the mummy was buried with several pieces of jewelry, including four necklaces made of blue glass, quartz, and amethyst.

Close by, archaeologists also uncovered red leather sandals and a pair of leather balls tied together with thread. Additionally, two mummified cats and a smaller coffin containing a wooden ushabti were found nearby.