Scientists have found out who was buried in a black sarcophagus found in Alexandria.
In July, researchers discovered a giant sealed black granite sarcophagus more than two thousand years old at a depth of five meters. After opening, three mummies were found in the sarcophagus untouched by the marauders, buried around the 4th-3rd century BC. The remains were damaged by water.
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities reported that scientists have established the sex and approximate age of those buried in the sarcophagus. These are two men (first: 35-39 years old, height 160-165.5 centimeters and the second: 40-44 years old, large physique, his height was 179-184.5 centimeters) and one woman (20-25 years old, height from 160 to 164 centimeters).
"Preliminary research by a group of scientists led by Zeynab Hasheesh made it possible to establish the sex and age of those buried at the time of death, their height in accordance with measurements of the skulls, pelvis, bones in the framework of an anthropological study," said the head of the Council for Antiquities, Mustafa al-Waziri.
He noted that the burials were most likely done in two stages. Scientists came to this conclusion after studying the location of the remains in the sarcophagus.
Researchers have also identified the probable cause of the hole in one of the skulls. According to them, it could appear as a result of a surgical operation for craniotomy, since "the deceased lived with this wound for a long time."
Scientists will continue to study the remains from the sarcophagus through DNA examinations. Researchers expect that this will help establish the degree of kinship of the buried. They also plan to analyze the fluid pumped out of the sarcophagus.
Promotional video:
Ancient cemetery
Muhammad Abdel Hadi, a specialist in the field of restoration of archaeological monuments at Cairo University, called for further excavations in the area where the black sarcophagus was discovered. According to the scientist, there may be other burials there.
The specialist noted that perhaps we are talking about an ancient cemetery, where large sarcophagi can be buried.
Abdel Hadi stressed that in this case, there is a high probability of finding the burials of politicians, representatives of local authorities and the military.
Only a small part is open
The renowned archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities of Egypt Zahi Hawas, in turn, believes that today only about 30 percent of the monuments of the ancient period have been found.
According to him, all the latest finds in Alexandria were made by accident. He also expressed the opinion that there is a likelihood of finding the grave of Alexander the Great in these areas.
At the same time, the archaeologist complained about the imperfection of Egyptian legislation.
“Nowadays, when a citizen, for example, finds an archaeological site while building a house, he prefers not to report it, destroy or bury it, because he fears that his land will be taken away from him … The law on the protection of cultural heritage should be improved and ensure that a person, discovering an artifact or any archaeological site will receive a payment in the amount of the value of the find. This will be a good way to prevent, among other things, the illegal sale of valuables abroad,”he added.