Discovery of an ancient Egyptian tomb in the outskirts of Cairo has marked this year’s biggest archaeological triumph. The 2000-year-old tomb also unearthed mysterious sealed jars which the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities considers to be a ‘message from the afterlife’.
4th Major Discovery of 2018
2018: One of the several tombs recently discovered in Egypt
In this year’s fourth major discovery, German and Egyptian archaeologists have discovered an entire necropolis consisting of 8 tombs and almost a thousand statues. Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities is hopeful that the new findings will provide the much-needed boost to the country’s tourism industry and attract people from all the around the world to come see the mysterious tombs which are more than 2,000 years old.
The area has undergone careful excavation for the past many months and Khaled El-Enany, the Antiquities Minister, finally announced on Saturday that a mysterious cemetery full of ancient secrets has been unearthed south of Cairo, in the city of Minya. The city is no stranger to ancient discoveries as many catacombs from the Ptolemaic dynasty and Pharaonic Late Period have been found before. The latest discovery of tombs and statues has been made in the huge archeological site located only a few kilometers away from Tuna al-Gabal and the western desert.
A 5-Year Excavation Project
Archaeologists believe there are plenty other discoveries to be made near the same area where the 2000-year old tombs were revealed
The 2000-year-old necropolis has also revealed a number of precious ornaments and artifacts including a mask made out of gold, several stone coffins decorated with precious stones and carved with ancient symbols, and more than 1000 statues of ancient figures. The minister explained in a statement that excavation projects will continue in the ancient city to unearth more of these mysterious necropolises.
Khaled El-Enany told the reporters that the excavation is expected to last for at least 5 years and the new discovery opens doors for archeologists to study the lives of 2000-year-old Egyptian civilization in new light. The head of the excavation mission, Mostafa Waziri, says that only eight tombs have been discovered so far but he is hopeful that more will be unearthed over the next five years.
Mysterious Jars Found in Tombs
The most interesting aspect of the discovery was the procuring of four mysterious jars in the tombs which held inscriptions of ancient Egyptian writings and contained organs of the mummified owners buries inside the tombs. One of the jars belonged to a respected priest whose mummy was covered in gilded covers and adorned with jewelry made from red and blue stones.
The minister invited various archeologists from Germany as well as Egypt to partake in the groundbreaking excavation mission which began last year. The main intent of the project was to unearth the ancient upper Egypt’s lost cemetery. Egypt is divided in to three different regions: upper, middle and lower, with each zone containing almost 20 nomes.
An Ancient Treasure Trove
This isn’t the first time an ancient treasure has been unearthed from the Egyptian grounds. In the beginning of February, archaeologists discovered a 4000-year-old tomb of an ancient priestess named Hetpet from Egypt’s fifth dynasty. The tomb was decorated with painting of the priestess with a monkey, which was considered a domestic animal in the ancient times, as well as several other scenes including dancing to the music of orchestra.
According to the archaeologists, Hetpet was a respected woman of immense power due to her close ties to the royals of ancient Egypt. The priestess also has a tomb in a necropolis in Giza belonging to the Egyptian Old Kingdom’s top officials.
Reviving the Tourism Business
Since the political turmoil during the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and a number of terrorist attacks that followed in the subsequent years, the tourism industry in Egypt has suffered a huge setback, but Mostafa Waziri believes that the excavation project will help bring the tourists back to one of the most ancient countries on the planet.
Waziri said that one of the tombs unearthed on the New Year’s Eve contained a necklace charm with New Year’s greetings engraved on it. He believes that this surprising coincidence could only be a message from the ancient Egyptians who have departed from this world.
