Dozens of Egyptian Mummies Unearthed Near Cairo

Archaeological authorities in Egypt have just announced the discovery of many new Egyptian mummies and precious statues . In all, at least 59 new coffins and mummies were found at one of Egypt’s most important archaeological sites: the renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site at Saqqara, a vast necropolis on a plateau just south of the modern city of Cairo. CGTN reports that “The Saqqara plateau is part of the necropolis of Egypt's ancient city of Memphis.” Memphis was the royal capital of Egypt for several dynasties. Saqqara is home to several pyramids including the Step Pyramid (or the Pyramid of Djoser). NBC reports that there are “burials here from the 1st Dynasty (2920 B.C.-2770 BC) and the Coptic period (395-642 AD).” Finding so many new Egyptian mummies at a single location will provide archaeologists with a lot more information about this period and the area where the discoveries were made.