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A sarcophagus has been discovered in Egypt, and nobody knows what’s inside it!

Credits: Egypt Ministry of Antiquities

Archaeological excavations of ancient Egyptian sites reveal that they still have plenty of secrets hidden within. This is particularly the case with this enormous granite sarcophagus, which was discovered during a dig in the city of Alexandria, on the North coast of Egypt. 

Many sarcophaguses have been discovered in Egypt, but what distinguishes this one is its size: 185 cm tall, 265 m long and 165 cm wide. It is by far the largest sarchophagus ever found in Alexandria, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, who have neither revealed the precise date of the discovery, nor the age of the sarcophagus.  We know that a marble bust has also been found near the tomb – doubtless that of its owner.

This is a fascinating find for the archaeologists. Ayman Ashmawy, who led the excavations, noted that the fact that the layer of mortar between the lid and the body in the tomb was intact indicates that it had not been opened since it was sealed over 2000 years ago. The excavation site dates back to the Ptolemaic era -between 300 BC and 30 BC. The sarcophagus was found five meters deep in the ground.

The bust found near the tomb. Credits: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

However, as no inscription has been discovered, it is impossible to know who or what is hiding inside the immense stone block. The size of the sarcophagus and the bust indicates that the person buried within had a high social status. We therefore need to be patient to find out a little more.

There has been no shortage of incredible discoveries in Egypt this year. Remember that last February, a team of archaeologists announced the discovery of a hidden network of tombs to the south of Cairo, apparently having survived from 2000 years ago. In April, a rare ancient Greek-Roman temple was also uncovered. It promises to revel the secrets of the Siwa oasis, with information on one of the most remote settlements in Egypt.

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