Egypt showcases scores of 2,500-year-old coffins

SAQQARA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt on Saturday showcased more than 100 coffins dating back 2,500 years, the latest and largest find this year in the vast burial ground of the Saqqara Necropolis.     The 26th Dynasty coffins - sealed, finely painted and well-preserved - were of a higher quality than previous finds there, said the secretary-general of the supreme council of antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, suggesting they belonged to higher ranking families.

Reuters November 15, 2020 05:10:39 IST
Egypt showcases scores of 2,500-year-old coffins

Egypt showcases scores of 2500yearold coffins

SAQQARA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt on Saturday showcased more than 100 coffins dating back 2,500 years, the latest and largest find this year in the vast burial ground of the Saqqara Necropolis.

    The 26th Dynasty coffins - sealed, finely painted and well-preserved - were of a higher quality than previous finds there, said the secretary-general of the supreme council of antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, suggesting they belonged to higher ranking families.

Fifty-nine coffins were unearthed in August at the same UNESCO world heritage site. More treasures are expected to be found there, said Waziri.

    The newly-discovered coffins, plus associated mummies and artefacts, will go on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to open next year.

(Corrects age of coffins and dynasty)

(Reporting by Sherif Fahmy; Writing by Nadeen Ebrahim; Editing by Ulf Laessing and John Stonestreet)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

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