Mummification workshop discovered in Egypt
July 14, 2018
German and Egyptian archaeologists said on Saturday they discovered a "mummification workshop" near the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt. The team, which includes researchers from Germany's University of Tübingen, found an underground burial shaft containing several mummies, wooden coffins and sarcophagi.
The researchers believe the discovery of an embalming cachette at the site will allow them to identify the specific oils used by ancient Eqyptians to mummify their dead. "We are in front of a goldmine of information about the chemical composition of these oils," said archaeologist Ramadan Hussein.
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'Only the beginning'
Hundreds of small stone statues, jars, and vessels used in the mummification process were all excavated from inside the burial chambers. The most significant discovery was a gilded silver mask, the second only such discovery ever made, according to Egypt's minister of antiquities, Khaled al-Anani. "It's only the beginning."
The Saqqara necropolis is part of Memphis, the first capital of ancient Egypt and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area is home to a variety of temples and tombs and the three pyramids of Giza.
The artifacts are expected to be displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is currently under construction. Egypt hopes the discoveries will boost its flagging tourist industry which took a hit following a 2011 political uprising and, more recently, a spate of suicide bombings.
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kw/aw (AP, dpa, Reuters)
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