Egypt: Archaeologists Unearthed 4,500-Yr-Old Mummy Tombs, Masks
Archaeologists working in the vast Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo have made some exciting new discoveries, unearthing tombs dating back from 1,800 to 4,800 years. These tombs have yielded a treasure trove of artifacts, including colorful mummy masks, a childlike statue of the Greek deity Harpocrates, and a carved stone slab bearing an inscription.
The colorful mummy masks, worn by the deceased, date back to the Roman period (B.C. 29 to 641 A.D.). These vibrant masks offer a glimpse into the funerary practices of the ancient Egyptians and Romans.
Another intriguing find is a small statue depicting Harpocrates, the Greek god of silence, as a child riding a goose. This symbolism represents the triumph of the Divine Child over evil spirits.
Unearthing History: From the Second Dynasty to the Roman Era
Some of the newly discovered tombs were initially found by a team led by Nozomu Kawai, director of Kanazawa University’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Civilizations and Cultural Resources in Japan, back in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to temporarily halt their excavations.
Resuming their work in 2023, the team unearthed even more tombs and artifacts in the North Saqqara plateau’s eastern escarpment. Their excavations revealed tombs spanning various ancient Egyptian dynasties, from the Second Dynasty (c. 4800 years ago) to the Late Period (B.C. 712 to 332), with additional finds from the Roman and Ptolemaic times.
One of the oldest tombs contained an Egyptian alabaster plate from the Second Dynasty, accompanying a crouching burial within a wooden box coffin, unfortunately deteriorated by termites. Another tomb, dating to the 18th dynasty (B.C. 1550 to 1295), held a mummy inside a coffin.
Saqqara: A Treasure Trove of Ancient History
Saqqara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to a vast necropolis with burial grounds dating back millennia. These new discoveries add to the site’s rich tapestry of ancient Egyptian history and shed light on the funerary practices, deities, and artistic expressions of different eras.
The ongoing excavations and analysis of these tombs promise to further our understanding of this remarkable ancient civilization. With each new discovery, the sands of Saqqara reveal another piece of the fascinating puzzle that is ancient Egypt.
Science Times