Egypt: Mummies Found In Newly Discovered Tomb

CAIRO — A storeroom housing about two dozen ancient Egyptian mummies has been unearthed inside a 2,600-year-old tomb during the latest round of excavations at the vast necropolis of Saqqara south of Cairo, archaeologists said Monday.

The tomb was located at the bottom of a 36-foot deep shaft, said Egypt's top archaeologist, Zahi Hawass. Twenty-two mummies were found in niches along the tomb's walls, he said.

Eight sarcophagi were also found in the tomb. Archaeologists so far have opened only one of the sarcophagi _ and found a mummy inside of it, said Hawass' assistant Abdel Hakim Karar. Mummies are believed to be inside the other seven, he said.

The "storeroom for mummies" dates back to 640 B.C. during the 26th Dynasty, which was Egypt's last independent kingdom before it was overthrown by a succession of foreign conquerors beginning with the Persians, Hawass said. But the tomb was discovered at an even older site in Saqqara that dates back to the 4,300-year-old 6th Dynasty, he said.

Most of the mummies are poorly preserved, and archeologists have yet to determine their identities or why so many were put in one room.

The name Badi N Huri was engraved into the opened sarcophagus, but the wooden coffin did not bear a title for the mummy.

"This one might have been an important figure, but I can't tell because there was no title," Karar said.

Karar also said it was unusual for mummies of this late period to be stored in rocky niches.

"Niches were known in the very early dynasties, so to find one for the 26th Dynasty is something rare," he said.

Excavations have been ongoing at Saqqara for 150 years, uncovering a necropolis of pyramids and tombs dating mostly from the Old Kingdom but also tombs from as recent as the Roman era.

In the past, excavations have focused on just one side of the site's two most prominent pyramids _ the famous Step Pyramid of King Djoser and that of Unas, the last king of the 5th Dynasty. The area where the current tomb was found, to the southwest, has been largely untouched by archeologists.

In December, two tombs were found near the current discovery of mummies. The tombs were built for high officials _ one responsible for the quarries used to build the nearby pyramids and the other for a woman in charge of procuring entertainers for the pharaohs.

In November, Hawass announced the discovery of a new pyramid at Saqqara, the 118th in Egypt, and the 12th to be found just in Saqqara.

According to Hawass, only 30 percent of Egypt's monuments have been uncovered, with the rest still under the sand.

Comments

[shedances]

Certainly one of the places I want to see before I die!

[jeffp26]

I thought the headline said: "Dozens of Dummies Found," and assumed it was about our congress.

[wm1066]

As an aside, in the 19 Century alot of mummy wrappings were ground up and put into fake medicines. Some people believed you could gain "powers" from the mummies cloth.

[byrdlegs]

Some of the mummies may have John McCain's DNA in their system. He probably had some of the females whacked cause they didnt own a beer distributorship.

[jesuslovesObama]

Just beware of the CURSE.... glachhoraarghhll *grabs throat*

[AZterritory]

And one of them was Cindy McCain . . .

[jesuslovesObama]

Beat me too it!

[Three Four Five]

Coleman Cedes Ground, Suggests that Franken Should Add Additional Rejected Absentee Ballots:

http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=209&ArticleName=Coleman+Allows+Franken+Latitude

[Steamboater]

I'll bet one of those mummies is the real John McCain.

[mcole]

nice one!!

[NoblesseOblige]

Egypt is a beautiful and fascinating country with all its history. I was there in the early 1980's and would love to return for another visit.

[Bitsko]

Doctor Zahi Hawass is the greatest. It's always fun and enlightening when he appears on the History channel or Discovery, etc. Keep on rockin' Doc!

[suzek55]

Agreed. The original Indiana Jones

[DMcD]

Come-on; his highness , the constantly self-embelishing Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities blah-blah-blah -- is so wrapped up in himself and hogging all the glory ---- I suppose it doesn't matter that he regularly takes credit for the discoveries of others. He makes a point of positioning himself in every single story and every single clip --- there are no press releases allowed without his horning-in and taking credit. To listen to him ( a punishing thought) , he's responsible for Egyptology itself [ NOT ]. He's a power-freak and a meathead , nothing more.

[3dtrix]

All true. The civil service in Egypt is 3000 years old, and correspondingly corrupt. No one can do any research or excavation in Egypt without a permit - and all permits stipulate that Hawass be the public face of whatever discoveries are made. It's a pride thing - for nearly two centuries, all important work relating to Egyptian antiquities was done by foreigners without a nod to the home team, and the present arrangement rectifies that - at least in the eyes of laymen. Discovery Channel, anyone?

[roby1]

although the first part has a copy of this report at the top (for easy reference) all of my information underneath may prove to be interesting.

http://docs.google.com/View?docID=dfppjbnt_243zww7dcc3&revision=_latest

[RaWash]

many people don't know that some of Egypt's richest archaeological sites still can't be excavated due to the lack of space in national museums (probably the only country to ever run out of museums), hopefully this will change soon --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Egyptian_Museum

[chaos4700]

Just when you thought there weren't any more fantastic finds to be had out of Egypt. It's great to hear that we're still unlocking more discoveries from the past like this.

[alienufo]

awesome!

[messy]

Wait a second, I though that the 34th dynasty, which nearly overthrew the Ptolemies and controlled 80% of Egypt from 202-196 BC was the last "native" dynasty, and that the last "official" one was the 30th, which fell about 350 BC.

Also, there were so many mummies at one time, they used them to make paint.

[Intelligentia]

Let's keep following this story to see where it ends. If you want mummies, you can find as many as you want, as long as as you have the financial resources to age and bury them. Sorry, I have read too many fabricated history to believe anything at first read. Remember the Dead Sea scroll they recently found or the tomb of Jesus' brother or the Noah's Ark? All fabrications. Let's wait and see.