‘MUMS’ THE WORD
Historic Luxor trove revealed
Egyptian archaeologists opened 30 ancient mummy coffins over the weekend in what’s believed to be the largest trove found in more than a century, according to reports Sunday.
The well-preserved remains in the intricately painted 3,000-yearold coffins, found in Luxor, are likely the bodies of former priests and children from the southern Egyptian city, according to the country’s Antiquities Ministry.
“It is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century,” Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany said.
The relics date back to 10th century BCE under the rule of the 22nd Pharaonic dynasty, according to officials.
A dig team unearthed two rows of wooden tombs from roughly three feet of sand at Luxor’s AlAsasif Cemetery, on the west bank of the Nile River.
The coffins were stacked on top of each other and were sealed and intact with engravings, including the names of some of the dead.
Inside, the corpses, including those of at least two children, were completely wrapped in cloth, experts said at an unveiling ceremony on Saturday.
It’s extremely rare to find the mummified bodies of children, archaeologist Zahi Hawass told CNN.
“This will enrich our knowledge as Egyptologists about the belief of the afterlife,” he said.
They were found in “good condition of preservation, colors and complete inscriptions,” the Ministry said.
The coffins are in good shape because the Egyptians mixed natural colors from limestone and turquoise stones with egg whites, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
He said the coffins were most likely hidden to keep tomb robbers from finding them.
The coffins will soon be restored and put on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is set to open next year near the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The finds come after 30 ancient workshops and a pottery kiln were unearthed in Luxor last week. Archaeologists said they now expect to uncover more ancient relics in the area. With Wires