Ancient Egypt: Amazing find of 3,000-year-old ancient Egyptian mummies
- Published
Egyptology experts are seriously excited after a rare treasure trove has been found of really well-preserved ancient wooden sarcophagi, or coffins.
The 30 wooden coffins, whose brightly-coloured decorations are still visible, were found in the heart of ancient Egypt - in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
Experts have been showing off the discovery which was made at Asasif, a necropolis (a large, specially-designed cemetery) on the west bank of the River Nile. 鈥淚t is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century,鈥 said the Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany.
The wooden coffins contain mummies of men, women and children, and are believed to have belonged to the families of high priests.
The find is the largest of its kind in over a century. By studying the coffins, experts hope to find out loads more about ancient Egyptian society and also about the workshops and skilled artists who made these detailed and colourful coffins.
The coffins were for men, women and children from the 22nd dynasty (945-715 BC) and it is believed they were collected and hidden by a priest for fear of being looted.
The announcement was made against the backdrop of the Hatshepsut Temple. Made for the burial of Pharoah Hatshepsut, the huge three-level temple is considered to be one of the most important monuments of ancient Egypt.
When they were discovered last week, the coffins were in two layers, with 18 coffins on top of 12 others. Experts said the men were buried with their hands closed but the women were buried with their hands open.
Further excavations are underway in the nearby area, which includes tombs dating back to the Middle, New Kingdom and Late Periods of ancient Egyptian history (1994 BC to 332 BC).
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