Egypt announced on Thursday the discovery of
four tombs of pharaohs and a mummy over 4,000 years old
in Saqqara, near Cairo, in the latest archaeological find, pompously presented by the authorities.
The findings were in the Saqqara necropolis, known for the famous pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, one of the oldest monuments of humanity.
The entrance to one of the tombs (REUTERS).
Archaeologists dated the four tombs to the fifth and sixth dynasties, between
2,500 and 2,100 BC.
Zahi Hawass announcing the findings at the discovery site on Thursday (AFP).
The media archaeologist Zahi Hawass explained to the press that in these ornate cavities they buried Khnumdjedef, the high priest of Pharaoh Unas, whose pyramid is in the same area.
During their excavations, with a depth of 15 meters, the archaeologists also found a limestone sarcophagus with an "exact" state of preservation to that of "4,300 years ago," Hawass said.
A mummy covered in gold
When they opened it, they discovered
a mummy covered in gold
, "one of the oldest and best preserved, setting aside the royal mummies," said the archaeologist, who was wearing a hat in the style of the character Indiana Jones.
The Saqqara necropolis, located just over 15 kilometers south of the famous pyramids of Giza, is considered a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
The entrance to one of the tombs that is 4,500 years old (AFP).
The Egyptian authorities announced several relevant archaeological finds in recent months, especially in Saqqara, but also in Luxor, in the south of the country.
The Ministry of Antiquities reported on Tuesday the discovery in this second town of the remains of
an "entire Roman city"
, dating from the first centuries of the Christian era.
The excavations were made to a depth of 15 meters (AFP).
This succession of announcements, according to experts, could be due to a more political and economic motivation than a scientific one.
Egypt, with 104 million inhabitants, is suffering from a serious economic crisis and the tourism sector is one of the main drivers of its economy.
AFP Agency.
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