Ancient tomb pried open, but Alexander remains to be found

EGYPTOLOGISTS have opened the mysterious 2,000-year-old black sarcophagus discovered in Alexandria on July 1.

The 30-ton granite sarcophagus was dated as being from the Ptolemaic period, which led to speculation that it may contain the body of Alexander the Great, who died in 323BC and after whom the city of Alexandria is named.

The tomb contained bones, but they are not thought to be of the great ruler. “Preliminary examination of the skeletons indicates that it is most likely they belong to three warriors or military officers as one of the skeletons bore a wound resulting from an arrow,” the Ministry of Antiquities said.

The skeletons were found in a pool of brackish water. The ministry said it was likely that sewage water had seeped through a fracture in the coffin and this caused the decomposition of the mummies. The bones will be transferred to Alexandria National Museum for further study. The sarcophagus will be transported with the help of the military to a warehouse for restoration.