Egypt announces largest archaeological discovery yet

Rasha Mahmoud

A picture shows wooden sarcophagi on display during the unveiling of an ancient treasure trove of more than a 100 intact sarcophagi, at the Saqqara necropolis 30 kms south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, on November 14, 2020. - Egypt announced the discovery of an ancient treasure trove of more than a 100 intact sarcophagi, the largest such find this year. The sealed wooden coffins, unveiled on site amid fanfare, belonged to top officials of the Late Period and the Ptolemaic period of ancient Egypt. They were — Wooden sarcophagi are on display during the unveiling of an ancient treasure trove of more than a 100 intact sarcophagi, at the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 14, 2020. — Ahmed Hasan/AFP via Getty Images

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt Mustafa Waziri announced Nov. 14 the largest archaeological discovery this year in the Saqqara antiquities area.

At a press conference, Waziri said the new discovery includes 100 ancient wooden coffins closed for more than 2,500 years, 40 gilded statues of the God of the Saqqara necropolis Ptah Sukkar, two wooden statues and a number of Ushabti statues and amulets, and four gold cartonnages.

On his Instagram account, Waziri shared a number of photos of the coffins unveiled during the latest archaeological discovery in the Saqqara antiquities area.

At the conference, Waziri mentioned a workshop for the manufacture of coffins in Saqqara that has yet to be unearthed, asserting that the Egyptian mission will reveal this workshop in 2021.

Egypt announces largest archaeological discovery yet

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt Mustafa Waziri praised the efforts of the Egyptian missions unveiling major archaeological discoveries in the Saqqara area.

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