Egypt Reveals Over 100 Intact Mummies That Were Buried Over 2,500 Years Ago

Egypt unveiled a trove of artifacts discovered near that Saqqara plateau in a necropolis near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, which was named a UNESCO world heritage site in the 1970s. The latest discovery at the site included over one hundred intact mummies along with dozens of statues of deities and other artifacts.

The mummies were sealed inside of ornately-decorated sarcophagi and belonged to "very rich, elite, high ranked people." The mummies date back to the Ptolemaic period, which was more than 2,500 years ago.

Archaeologists scanned the inside of one of the coffins and said it contained a male who died somewhere between the age of 40 and 45. He did not suffer from any chronic illnesses, and his teeth were in perfect condition. Officials said that his hands were placed across his chest, signifying that he was royalty, though he was not a king.

The latest find was one of many around Saqqara in the past few years. Officials are hoping to unearth more secrets in the area and are trying to locate the workshop where the coffins were built.

"It's the biggest discovery of 2020, but we are not stopping here yet. The discovery of one burial shaft leads to another," antiquities minister Khaled El-Anany told reporters. "Saqqara hasn't yet revealed one percent of its secrets. We can find tombs and burial shafts in every single spot in this area."

Officials said that the artifacts will be shared between four museums in Egypt.

Photo: Getty Images