Archaeologists have excavated eight ancient Egyptian mummies that are believed to have lived some 3,000 years ago inside the pyramid of King Amenhoth II.
The eight mummies were found inside the pyramid of King Amenhoth II located in Dahshur, not far from the Great Pyramids of Giza, west of Cairo.
The Dahshur complex was a major royal burial site, home to the well-known “bent pyramid” of King Snefru.
The mummies were discovered after an archaeological mission found eight limestones coffins covered in intricate colors.
According to reports from Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry, all eight mummies are excellently preserved and date back to the ‘late era’ of Ancient Egypt which spanned between 1085-332 BC.
Egypt’s ‘late Era’ ended when Alexander the Great, conquered the ‘the land of Pharaohs’ and established the Ptolemaic dynasty.
The sarcophagi were discovered as an Egyptian archaeological mission was excavating the southeastern corner of the pyramid of Amenhoth II.
“The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the southeastern area of King Amenemhat II’s pyramid in Dahshur Necropolis has uncovered a number of ancient burials with eight coffins,” the antiquities ministry announced in a statement.
The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the south eastern area of of King Amenemhat II’s pyramid in Dahshur…
Posted by Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities وزارة السياحة والآثار on Wednesday, November 28, 2018
As noted by Dr. Mustapha Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and head of the mission, archaeologists began excavations in August of 2018.
The sarcophagi have already been sent for restorations.
The mummies were covered in Cartonnage, a material that is often made from a mixture of linen or papyrus and plaster.
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities also revealed that it plans to eventually put the mummies and the limestone sarcophagi on display at museums that are yet to be built in the resort hubs of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.
