Part of eight revealed sarcophagi found inside a 26th Dynasty limestone sarcophagus along with other mummies at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egypt Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009. (Nasser Nasser/AP Images)
Mummy Chamber Unearthed
Archaeologists find 30 mummies in ancient Egyptian burial tomb
Illustration: Jim McMahon
Scientists have been digging in the sands of Saqqara, Egypt, for more than 150 years, searching for and finding ancient artifacts and structures. And last week another remarkable discovery was made.
At the bottom of a 36-foot-deep well, archaeologists found a 4,300-year-old burial tomb filled with 30 mummies. The tomb was discovered on the western side of Step Pyramid of Saqqara, one of the oldest structures in the world.
A team of archaeologists led by Zahi Hawas made the discovery. Hawas is the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. He and his team have been digging in Saqqara for more than a year.
In the burial chamber, Hawas and his team found sarcophagi made of limestone and wood. Looters and thieves from ancient times had damaged some of the sarcophagi, and this caused some of the mummies to be in poor condition.
But one sarcophagus was found virtually undisturbed. It was made of limestone and sealed with plaster, which is a sign that the person inside was rich. Hawas said he thought it came from Egypt's 26th Dynasty, which lasted from 664 B.C. to 525 B.C.
When Hawas opened the sarcophagus, he found a complete and well-preserved mummy.
"To find an intact mummy inside a limestone sarcophagus is not common," Hawas said. "It's rare. It's very rare. This mummy should contain amulets, golden amulets, to help the deceased go to the afterlife."
To help scientists learn more about the mummy and its times, it will be X-rayed in the coming weeks.
The mummies discovered in the tomb come from a few different periods in Egyptian history, according to Hawas's team. Many of the mummies are from about 640 B.C. But the oldest mummy has been estimated to be from 2494 B.C.-2345 B.C. A mummified dog was also discovered among the human mummies.
The tomb originally belonged to a priest named Sangem, according to Hawas. But over time, others were buried in the space.
This mummy discovery isn't the first time burial chambers have been found at Saqqara. Scientists have discovered numerous mummies in the desert there and call the area a necropolis, which is a large cemetery of an ancient city. But most mummies are discovered in their own burial chambers rather than with others.
Other things have been found at Saqqara too. Last year, Hawas and his team unearthed a 4,300-year-old pyramid in the desert.
But while scientists have searched the area for more than a century, Hawas believes there is still a lot to discover.
"I always say that we have found 30 percent of the Egyptian monuments, and still 70 percent is buried underneath the ground," Hawas said.
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 | If you were part of Zahi Hawas' archaeological team in Egypt, what would you hope to discover? Tell us what you think on the Scholastic News Online Blog! | |
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