50 ancient coffins uncovered at Egypt's Saqqara necropolis

[marmar]

Egypt has announced the discovery of a new trove of treasures at the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, including an ancient funerary temple.

The tourism and antiquities ministry said the “major discoveries” made by a team of archaeologists headed by the Egyptologist Zahi Hawass also included more than 50 sarcophagi.

The wooden sarcophagi, which date back to the New Kingdom period – between the 16th and the 11th century BC – were found in 52 burial shafts at depths of 10 to 12 metres (40 feet).

Hawass said the funerary temple of Queen Naert, the wife of King Teti, as well as three warehouses made of bricks were also found on the site. ..........(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/17/archaeologists-uncover-new-treasure-trove-at-egypts-saqqara-necropolis

[Yeehah]

1. Fascinating and amazing!

Ancient Egypt is so wonderful. It's nice when a discovery is made that has not been ruined by plunderers.

[central scrutinizer]

2. There's a two hour video on Netflix

On an earlier dig at this site. They were running out of funding and feared they’d have to shut it down and then they discovered this second trove.

[Tetrachloride]

3. Those go way back. and in profoundly good condition

[Demonaut]

5. Ptolemaic Egypt is a bit boring

[Tetrachloride]

9. About 50 % of Egyptians feel the same way about America and its elections.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. The whole topic is Greek to me. nt

[SlogginThroughIt]

4. It is cool but then at what point is it ok to start diggin up people's coffins?

I get it they are old, but other than that what makes them different from the people down the block at the cemetery?

[Tetrachloride]

7. Among other things, Egypt is one of a handful of areas where the first written languages were made.

1. among the first languages
2. among the first astronomers
3. you might find something astoundingly worthwhile, such as the Rosetta Stone, or how the Pyramids were built.
4. Last and not least, the people who LIVE there might want to know. and maybe they can make more money from tourists and getting food and medicine.

as compared to the people at the cemetery ,...

5. my family has 1 doctoral student in art history and 1 MFA in art, not to mention walls and bookshelves of art. (the MFA was my mother.)
or
6. the people at the cemetery might be the ones who helped destroy such and such civilization in wars or "cultural appropriation" or "manifest destiny."

So, to which coffins are you referring ?

[SlogginThroughIt]

11. errrm the 50 coffins in the title?

[Brother Buzz]

6. I understand they used to use them as fuel for the railroads

I shall not speak of the railway, for it is like any other railway—I shall only say that the fuel they use for the locomotive is composed of mummies three thousand years old, purchased by the ton or by the graveyard for that purpose, and that sometimes one hears the profane engineer call out pettishly, "D--n these plebeians, they don't burn worth a cent—pass out a King … - Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad

[Tetrachloride]

8. The location of Saqqara could be said to be at the outer limits of modern Cairo

So, it would be an easy drive from Cairo to Saqqara for a leisurely tour and back, and the day is still young. The Giza Pyramids are even closer to Cairo.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. When I was in Egypt

almost 30 years ago, you could see the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, from Giza (where the Sphinx and Great Pyramids are). And as a note, the current street level of modern Cairo is about 12 ft above the structures of the Roman period parts of the "Old Cairo" section of the city, so that can sortof help to imagine how far back in time these shafts and chambers were compared to now.