Three
rock-hewn burial shafts filled with coffins and faience pots have been uncovered
in Egypt's Abusir necropolis near Cairo. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.
The
discovery was made after authorities received reports of illegal excavations in
the area.
Mostafa
Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Ahram
Online that the antiquities ministry formed an archaeological committee led by
Sabri Farag, the director-general of the Saqqara Necropolis, to conduct urgent
excavations at the site.
Waziri
explains that excavation revealed three rock-hewn burial shafts containing
funerary collections, including four wooden coffins in bad conservation
condition bearing hieroglyphic texts.
Farag
says that one of these texts bears the cartouche of King Ptolemy IV (244 – 204
BC), but the remaining text is not clear enough to decipher. More studies are
set to be carried out to determine to which reign the coffins belong.
Farag
said the coffins hold four mummified bodies, presumably of birds, along with
three round-shaped linen wrappings housing the mummies' stomachs.
A
collection of 38 symbolic pots carved in faience was also found. All the
objects are being held in storage at the site for restoration.
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