2020: Year of Egyptian archaeological discoveries

CAIRO – 21 December 2020: During 2020, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced a set of important archaeological discoveries, which were accomplished through the Egyptian mission.

On January 30, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled el-Enani, announced the first archaeological discovery in 2020 in the Al-Ghuraifah area in Minya.

The archaeological discovery included 3 tombs in the Malawy region. One of the tombs was for the Royal Treasurer and holder of the Royal Seal of Lower Egypt. The second is a family cemetery and the third was the tomb of one of the Ashmonite nobles.

This discovery is the result of 3 seasons during which 35 graves were discovered.

Enani pointed out that the family cemetery includes 9 stone coffins and was opened for the first time, where all its personal belongings was found.

As for the treasurer’s tomb, Enani revealed that it contained a large coffin that has not yet been opened and weighs 9 tons, in addition to two wooden coffins that are smaller than the main coffin.

In September, a number of stone sarcophagi, ushabti statues, wooden statues, canopic vessels and amulets were discovered in the Al-Ghuraifah area of ​​Tuna Al-Gabal.

In May, the Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission to the University of Barcelona, ​​working in the Al-Bahnasa region, reached the discovery of a unique tomb dating back to the El-Sawy era.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said the cemetery is unique in its kind and this type has not been discovered before in Al-Bahnasa.

In turn, Esther Pons, head of the mission, said that the excavations revealed 8 tombs dating back to the Roman era with a vaulted ceiling and not engraved. Many tombstones dating back to the Roman era were found inside it, in addition to Bronze coins, small crosses, and clay seals.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also announced the unveiling of a group of stone and wooden coffins and funeral furniture at the site of the sacred animal and bird cemetery in the Saqqara antiquities area.

On October 14, it was announced that 59 colored wooden coffins closed inside burial wells in the Saqqara antiquities area were revealed at an international press conference in the presence of more than 50 ambassadors.

In November, it was announced that more than 100 colored wooden coffins, 40 wooden statues of the deity Ptah Sokar, a number of ushabti statues, amulets and 4 masks of golden cartonnage were unveiled at an international press conference attended by more than 300 Egyptian and foreign journalists and media professionals.