Image copyright EPA Image caption Experts wore face masks to open the sarcophagus, which released a terrible smell 
 
 Three weeks ago, archaeologists in Egypt found a massive black granite sarcophagus in Alexandria, untouched for 2,000 years - and fleet-footed rumour quickly got to work. 
 
 Could it contain the remains of ancient Greek leader Alexander the Great, or (less appealingly) a deadly curse? 
 
 According to experts who have now unsealed it, it's a no to both. 
 
 Instead, it revealed three skeletons and red-brown sewage water, which gave off an unbearable stench. 
 
 Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities had appointed a committee of archaeologists to open the relic, which was unearthed at a construction site. 
 
 According to Egyptian news outlet El-Watan, they initially lifted the lid of the tomb by just 5cm (2 inches) before the pungent smell forced them from the inspection scene entirely. They later prised it open with help from Egyptian military engineers. 
 
 "We found the bones of three people, in what looks like a family burial... Unfortunately the mummies inside were not in the best condition and only the bones remain," said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. 
 
 Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The tomb was found to contain three skeletons, believed to be those of ancient Egyptian army officers 
 
 Addressing media fears that disturbing the tomb could trigger an implacable Pharaoh's curse, Mr Waziri declared: "We've opened it and, thank God, the world has not fallen into darkness. 
 
 "I was the first to put my whole head inside the sarcophagus... and here I stand before you ... I am fine." 
 
 Despite that, the site has now been cleared of people amid fears the sarcophagus could release lethal toxic fumes, Egypt's state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram says. 
 
 Are mummies' tombs dangerous? 
 
 Scientists have debunked the infamous "Mummy's Curse", but are there other threats in ancient tombs? 
 
 Lord Carnarvon, financial backer of the excavation of Tutankhamun's burial site, died from an infected mosquito bite shortly after they opened the chamber in 1923. 
 
 Since then, rumours have swirled that mould or bacteria survived in the sealed area and caused or contributed to his fate. 
 
 But F DeWolfe Miller, professor of epidemiology at the University of Hawaii, told National Geographic that there's no real danger. 
 
 "We don't know of even a single case of either an archaeologist or a tourist experiencing any negative consequences [from bacteria or tomb moulds]," he told the magazine. 
 
 Experts have said the three individuals in the Alexandria sarcophagus may have been soldiers in the time of the Pharaohs. 
 
 The skull of one is said to show cracks which point to an arrow injury. 
 
 An alabaster bust, its features weathered beyond recognition, was also found with the tomb. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption The huge sarcophagus weighs almost 30 tonnes 
 
 The structure is almost two metres (6.5ft) high and three metres long, and is the largest of its kind ever found intact. 
 
 It weighs in at 27 tonnes (59,500lb), and is believed to date from the early Ptolemaic period, which began in 323 BC after the death of Alexander the Great. 
 
 Archaeologists will now study the sarcophagus in depth to pinpoint when its occupants lived, and how they died. ||||| Archaeologists open granite tomb but are dismayed at state of decay after ‘sewage leak’ 
 
 Egyptian archeologists have opened a 30-tonne black granite sarcophagus to find three decomposed mummies after sewage water apparently leaked inside. 
 
 “The sarcophagus has been opened, but we have not been hit by a curse,” said Mostafa Waziry, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Antiquities, in response to news reports warning of maledictions hidden inside the tomb in the port city of Alexandria. 
 
 Waziry, accompanied by a team of specialists in mummification and restoration, instead found three mummies and a red liquid he identified as sewage water, believed to have entered the sarcophagus through a crack on its right side, causing the decomposition of the mummies. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Tomb after the lid was removed. Photograph: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters 
 
 The tomb was found buried five metres beneath the surface and the help of Egyptian military engineers was required to open the 15-tonne lid. After capturing the world’s attention because of its unusually large size, observers believed it could contain the remains of a prominent figure, with some considering the possibility that it could contain the corpse of Alexander the Great. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest The alabaster head. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images 
 
 The sarcophagus, almost three metres across and two metres high, is believed to date from the early Ptolemaic period, which began following the death of Alexander in 323BC. 
 
 It was found during construction work in Egypt’s northernmost city, accompanied by a weathered alabaster head thought to depict one of the occupants of the tomb. Archeologists were excited because a layer of mortar beneath the lid suggested it had remained untouched since it was buried thousands of years ago. 
 
 The skulls of the three mummies found inside will now be analysed in order to identify their ages and cause of death. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Skulls of the three decomposed mummies. Photograph: EPA 
 
 Shaaban Abdel Amonem, one of the specialists in mummification who attended the opening, said initial assessments showed the trio were probably soldiers, with one of the skulls displaying evidence of arrow blows. 
 
 Waziri said the lack of death masks in precious metals, amulets, statuettes or inscriptions on the sarcophagus meant the bodies were unlikely to be those of Ptolemaic or Roman royals. 
 
 Video footage from the news website Youm7 showed a man pouring the red liquid into the street, after samples were taken to be analysed. ||||| SAQQARA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt unveiled a well-preserved 4,400-year-old tomb decorated with hieroglyphs and statues south of Cairo on Saturday, and officials expect more discoveries when archaeologists excavate the site further in coming months. 
 
 The tomb was found in a buried ridge at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara. It was untouched and unlooted, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters at the site. He described the find as “one of a kind in the last decades”. 
 
 The tomb dates from the rule of Neferirkare Kakai, the third king of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. 
 
 Archaeologists removed a last layer of debris from the tomb on Thursday and found five shafts inside, Waziri said. One of the shafts was unsealed with nothing inside, but the other four were sealed. They are expecting to make discoveries when they excavate those shafts starting on Sunday, he said. He was hopeful about one shaft in particular. 
 
 “I can imagine that all of the objects can be found in this area,” he said, pointing at one of the sealed shafts. “This shaft should lead to a coffin or a sarcophagus of the owner of the tomb.” 
 
 The tomb is 10 metres (33 ft) long, three metres (9.8 ft) wide and just under three metres high, Waziri said. 
 
 The walls are decorated with hieroglyphs and statues of pharaohs. Waziri said the tomb was unique because of the statues and its near perfect condition. 
 
 “The colour is almost intact even though the tomb is almost 4,400 years old,” he said. 
 
 The tomb lies in a buried ridge that has only partially been uncovered. Waziri said he expects more discoveries to be made there when archaeologists start more excavation work in January. 
 
 The Fifth Dynasty ruled Egypt from about 2,500 BC to 2,350 BC, not long after the great pyramid of Giza was built. 
 
 Saqqara served as the necropolis for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than two millennia. 
 
 Slideshow (14 Images) 
 
 Ancient Egyptians mummified humans to preserve their bodies for the afterlife, while animal mummies were used as religious offerings. 
 
 Egypt has revealed over a dozen ancient discoveries this year. 
 
 The country hopes the finds will brighten its image abroad and revive interest among travelers who once flocked to its iconic pharaonic temples and pyramids but who fled after the 2011 political uprising.
– "The sarcophagus has been opened, but we have not been hit by a curse," declared the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Antiquities after opening a huge black sarcophagus that had been untouched for 2,000 years. Those prone to queasiness might have disagreed. Sewage water had leaked into the Alexandria sarcophagus over the centuries through a crack, meaning that instead of well-preserved mummies, antiquities head Mostafa Waziry and his team found three skeletons, a vile red liquid, and a terrible smell when they opened the sarcophagus, the Guardian reports. The discovery of the massive sarcophagus two weeks ago sparked rumors that the tomb of Alexander the Great could have been found, but archaeologists believe the three bodies were those of soldiers, judging by the lack of elaborate death masks and the arrow wound in one of the skulls, the Week reports. Waziry spoke to the media to dispel rumors that the sarcophagus was cursed, the BBC reports. "We've opened it and, thank God, the world has not fallen into darkness," he said. "I was the first to put my whole head inside the sarcophagus... and here I stand before you ... I am fine." (A less fragrant find was recently made at an ancient necropolis south of Cairo.)