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A year of Saqqara: new marvels from Egypt
2020 might have seen some fairly bleak items in the news, but from the point of view of Egyptology it’s proved to be a very exciting year. After the discovery of more late Ptolemaic structures in Alexandria and renewed excavation efforts in the Valley of the Kings, it was Saqqara’s turn to release news of yet another impressive discovery. In late September, it was announced that excavations had uncovered what appeared to be a yet unsealed, previously unknown burial shaft in the Saqqara necropolis, an important site whose previous claims to fame include the fact that it is home to the Djoser Pyramid, the earliest pyramid that we know of.
A first investigation of the new shaft brought to light 13 wooden sarcophagi, many of them painted and all in excellent conditions. A second press release on September 22nd announced the discovery of 14 more sarcophagi, bringing the total tally to 27. Then, in mid-October, the Egyptian government announced that 32 further coffins had been found, for an end total of 59. It is, therefore, an exceptionally wealthy cache, especially considering the age of the sarcophagi, which have been assessed to be around 2500 years old. In fact, this makes it the largest undisturbed cache of coffins ever found in Northern Egypt, and with the 30 sarcophagi discovered in Luxor earlier in the year, this made 2020 a truly exceptional year for archaeology.
The necropolis has been a well-known site for a long time, and it is unfortunately often victim to grave robbers and looters; it is extremely unusual to find caskets like these, whose seals appear to still be fully intact, untouched since the moment of burial. This is therefore excellent news for the archaeologists, who are expecting to find the remains undisturbed and any valuables still in place. After the first of the sarcophagi was opened, it was indeed revealed that the linen wrappings are in incredibly good conditions, showing the vivid, colourful painted decorations in an almost perfect state.
It is only the last in a series of remarkable discoveries at the Saqqara site. In 2019 archaeologists discovered caches of mummified sacred animals, including cats and, most impressively, rare mummies of lion cubs. And earlier in 2020, the Egyptian ministry for tourism and culture had released the first official footage of one of the most impressive finds in the history of the necropolis, a largely well-preserved subterranean mummy workshop, located underneath the necropolis.
It is truly an amazing discovery, and we are sure to hear more from those mummies. Both the sarcophagi and their contents will be the subject of extensive population studies, which will help clarify the nature of the lifestyle of the people buried in these necropoleis.
© Wikimedia Commons.
2020 might have seen some fairly bleak items in the news, but from the point of view of Egyptology it’s proved to be a very exciting year. After the discovery of more late Ptolemaic structures in Alexandria and renewed excavation efforts in the Valley of the Kings, it was Saqqara’s turn to release news of yet another impressive discovery. In late September, it was announced that excavations had uncovered what appeared to be a yet unsealed, previously unknown burial shaft in the Saqqara necropolis, an important site whose previous claims to fame include the fact that it is home to the Djoser Pyramid, the earliest pyramid that we know of.
A first investigation of the new shaft brought to light 13 wooden sarcophagi, many of them painted and all in excellent conditions. A second press release on September 22nd announced the discovery of 14 more sarcophagi, bringing the total tally to 27. Then, in mid-October, the Egyptian government announced that 32 further coffins had been found, for an end total of 59. It is, therefore, an exceptionally wealthy cache, especially considering the age of the sarcophagi, which have been assessed to be around 2500 years old. In fact, this makes it the largest undisturbed cache of coffins ever found in Northern Egypt, and with the 30 sarcophagi discovered in Luxor earlier in the year, this made 2020 a truly exceptional year for archaeology.
The necropolis has been a well-known site for a long time, and it is unfortunately often victim to grave robbers and looters; it is extremely unusual to find caskets like these, whose seals appear to still be fully intact, untouched since the moment of burial. This is therefore excellent news for the archaeologists, who are expecting to find the remains undisturbed and any valuables still in place. After the first of the sarcophagi was opened, it was indeed revealed that the linen wrappings are in incredibly good conditions, showing the vivid, colourful painted decorations in an almost perfect state.
It is only the last in a series of remarkable discoveries at the Saqqara site. In 2019 archaeologists discovered caches of mummified sacred animals, including cats and, most impressively, rare mummies of lion cubs. And earlier in 2020, the Egyptian ministry for tourism and culture had released the first official footage of one of the most impressive finds in the history of the necropolis, a largely well-preserved subterranean mummy workshop, located underneath the necropolis.
It is truly an amazing discovery, and we are sure to hear more from those mummies. Both the sarcophagi and their contents will be the subject of extensive population studies, which will help clarify the nature of the lifestyle of the people buried in these necropoleis.
