They find 13 mysterious coffins that could have mummies 0:45
(CNN) -
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered nearly 30 sarcophagi that are believed to have been buried for about 2,500 years, according to the country's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Workers unearthed the cache of sealed coffins from an 11-meter-deep (36-foot) burial pit in Saqqara, a vast necropolis some 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of Cairo.
Earlier this month they discovered more than a dozen sarcophagi at the site.
On Sunday, the ministry revealed via Facebook that it had unearthed another 14, bringing the total number to 27.
Despite staying underground for millennia, the coffins have retained some of their original colors.
Archaeologists also discovered a collection of smaller artifacts at the site, according to a ministry statement.
Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled El-Enany, had already described the discoveries as "the largest number of coffins in a burial since the discovery of the Al-Asasif cache."
By this he meant the discovery, in 2019, of 30 coffins with mummies inside, which authorities called Egypt's largest find in more than a century.
El-Enany also thanked the excavation workers for operating in difficult conditions while adhering to coronavirus safety measures.
"(It's a) very exciting discovery," he said in a video released by the ministry.
"I think it's just the beginning."
Fully sealed sarcophagi
The 27 sarcophagi at Saqqara appear to be completely sealed and initial studies suggest that they were sealed from their burial, the ministry said.
Authorities also suggested that more coffins and artifacts were likely buried at the same location.
It is unclear how many more sarcophagi can be found in the shaft, or what remains they contain.
Archaeologists hope to provide more answers during the excavation process, said Mustafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The discovery follows other important finds at the Saqqara necropolis site in recent months.
In April, archaeologists discovered five limestone sarcophagi and four wooden coffins that contained human mummies.
That burial pit, which extended 30 feet (9 meters) below ground, was found to contain a number of small artifacts.
Included are statuettes that were normally buried in Egyptian tombs to aid the deceased in the afterlife.
They also found in the tomb a small wooden obelisk, about 40 centimeters high.
This had been painted with representations of the Egyptian goddesses Isis and Nephthys and the god Horus, one of the most famous ancient Egyptian deities.
In December 2018, archaeologists found a private tomb belonging to a royal purification priest dating back more than 4,000 years, according to the Ministry of Antiquities.
A month earlier, archaeologists found a huge cat graveyard and a collection of rare mummified beetles.
Egypt
