Archaeology news: Sarcophagus of Egyptian GOD discovered in major excavation

An excavation of a tomb where many high priests were buried in the Minya Governate, about 186 miles (300km) south of Cairo, revealed one burial site dedicated to an otherworldly presence. Researchers from Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities discovered a sarcophagus dedicated to Horus inside the tomb.

Horus was considered the god of the sky in Ancient Egypt and was a deity associated with death and resurrection.

Horus was also the son of the goddess Isis and the god of the underworld Osiris.

Together with Isis and Osiris, Horus formed the principal trinity among Egypt’s gods and goddesses.

In total, the latest mission from the Egyptian archaeologists unearthed 16 tombs containing 20 sarcophagi, some engraved with hieroglyphics, all of which date to around 3,000 years ago.

Other findings include 10,000 blue and green ushabti (funerary figurines), 700 amulets, several of which were made from pure gold, and bearing scarab shapes.

The Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany said the Minya region “continues to reveal its secrets”.

Mohamed Wahballah, a member of the archaeological team, added two of the sarcophagi were still sealed and in “very good” condition.

Minya has become a hotspot for Egyptian archaeology, with several major findings discovered in the region.

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Some of the mummies were found wrapped in linen while others were placed in stone coffins or wooden sarcophagi.

The chambers, which were nine metres deep and cut out of rock, belonged to a middle-class family who probably lived during the Ptolemaic period (305 to 30BC), archaeologists believe.

The mummies were believed to have been upper-middle class Egyptians, as the mummification process and burial chamber appeared to have been sophisticated.

Ancient Egypt is famous for its incredible artefacts, ranging from impressive tombs and pyramids, drawing in millions to its tourism industry.

source: express.co.uk