Ptolemaic tombs uncovered in Egypt's Minya

During excavation work carried out at Al-Kamin Al-Sahrawi area, south east of Samalout Town in Al-Menia Governorate, an Egyptian archaeological mission from the Ministry of Antiquities discovered three Ptolemaic tombs.

Credit: Ministry of Antiquities

Dr. Ayman Ashmawy, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Ministry explains that inside these tombs, excavators have unearthed a collection of sarcophagi of different shapes and sizes as well as clay fragments that date the tombs between the 27th Dynasty and the Graeco-Roman era.

"A fact suggests that the area was a great cemetery along a long span of time," asserted Dr. Ashmawy who describes the discovery as "very important" because it reveals more secrets of Al-Kamil Al-Sahrawi archaeological site."

Credit: Ministry of Antiquities

He added that along the previous excavation work the mission succeeded to uncover about 20 tombs designed in Catacombs architecture, which was wide spread during the 27th dynasty and the Graeco-Roman period.

Ali Al- Bakry Head of the mission explains that the three newly discovered tombs have a different architectural design than the previously discovered ones.

Credit: Ministry of Antiquities

The first tomb is composed of a perpendicular burial shaft engraved in the rock and leads to a burial chamber containing four sarcophagi with anthropoid lids. Nine burial pits were also uncovered.

The second tomb consists of a perpendicular burial shaft and two burial chambers. the first chamber is located to the north, where remains of two sarcophagi are found suggesting that it was the burial of two people. A collection of 6 pits for burial were also found, among which was the burial of a small child.

Credit: Ministry of Antiquities

"This was the first time to find a burial of a child in kamin Al-Sahrawi site," Al-Bakry said, adding that the second room is located at the end of the shaft and does not contain anything except the remains of a wooden coffin. Excavation works at the third tomb has not finished yet.

Al-Bakry pointed out that studies carried out on bones show that they belong to men, women and children of different ages, suggesting that these tombs were part of a large cemetery for a large city and not a military garrison as some suggest.

Credit: Ministry of Antiquities

The first excavation mission started in 2015 during which a collection of five sarcophagi of different shapes and sizes as well as remains of a wooden sarcophagus were unearthed. The second session began in October 2016 when five tombs were uncovered. Four of them have a similar interior design while the fifth consists of a burial shaft.

Source: Egypt Ministry of Antiquities [August 15, 2017]