Nearly three weeks after it was found, Egyptian archaeologists opened a 2,000-year-old sarcophagus that delighted internet doomsday theorists but revealed the stench of three decomposing bodies instead of an ancient curse. The sarcophagus, initially discovered earlier in July in Alexandria, Egypt, contained the centuries-old skeletons of three men, presumed to be military officers, floating in murky, red-tinged sewage that seeped into the underground tomb, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities said Thursday. Archaeologists couldn't immediately remove the sealed stone sarcophagus, the largest discovered in the city, from the earth due to its immense weight—more than 30 tons. "The sarcophagus has been opened, but we have not been hit by a curse," said Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, in an interview with Egypt Today. The tomb, itself 6 feet tall and buried more than 16 feet below the surface, was found near the alabaster carved head of a man, likely the tomb's owner. Once the team unsealed it, they paused the excavation for an hour to air out the open tomb with its putrid smell. The men were originally mummified to preserve their bodies but were likely decomposed by the leaking sewage, Waziri said. The Ministry of Antiquities said one of the skeletons bore an arrow wound, evidence the men were soldiers. Their remains will be transferred to the Alexandria National Museum to date the bones and learn the men's cause of death. The coffin, once restored, will be sent to the Egyptian National Military Museum in Cairo, the ministry said. The bodies were initially thought to have belonged to a royal family from the Ptolemaic Kingdom, but Waziri said the archaeologists couldn't find any inscriptions on the tomb indicating royal heritage. Nor were there any gold masks or amulets, which typically accompany mummified significant figures. The ministry previously claimed the tomb dated back to the Ptolemaic period between 300 B.C. and 30 B.C. According to a 2008 study of a mummified teenage girl from the same period, the Ptolemaic Kingdom's lower-status dead were not embalmed as carefully as deceased "well-to-do" citizens, leaving their bodies more susceptible to decomposition by natural elements. Also, they were buried in coffins without hieroglyphics. Mummies have made news centuries after their burials. In April, researchers unearthed what they believe to be the mummified body of one of Iran's last shahs, Reza Shah Pahlavi, near Tehran. In July, scientists tested the remains of Europe's oldest naturally preserved mummy, called Ötzi the Iceman, decades after his discovery in a European glacier. They found he consumed a high-fat diet to fuel himself during harsh winters.<doc-sep>SAQQARA, Egypt — In the shadow of Egypt’s oldest pyramids, the Saqqara Step Pyramids, Egyptian and German archaeologists have uncovered an embalming factory that sheds new light on how ancient Egyptians were mummified. Ramadan Hussein, director of the Saqqara Seites Tomb Project, called it a “goldmine of information” on ingredients used to preserve mummies for thousands of years. The recent discovery included a complex of building, including an embalmer's cachette and a mummification workshop. A general view of the research site at the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt, on July 14, 2018. Mohamed Hossam / EPA "But the most important thing is a communal burial place in the form of a deep shaft," Hussein said. "The embalmer cachette has vessels in the form of measuring cups also bowls all inscribed with the names of oils and substances that were used in the mummification. Now we’ve found a goldmine of information about what exactly are the kind of oils that we’re dealing with." The treasure trove lay hidden under the sand for 2,600 years until archaeologists discovered them while mapping a site last excavated in 1899. “We had to do cleaning in order to map and produce our survey map,” said Hussein, "and, of course, every great discovery in Egyptian archaeology happens by accident." In the new find, archaeologists opened one of five sarcophagi which have been sealed since burial. It revealed the mummy of a second priest to the Goddess Mut and was adorned with a rare silver and gold gilded mask, beaded netting and gilded images of Pharaonic gods. A recently discovered gilded mummy mask is displayed during a press conference in front of the step pyramid of Saqqara, in Giza on July 14, 2018. Amr Nabil / AP They archaeologists also uncovered 35 other mummies, a coffin, dozens of blue ushepti statuettes to serve the deceased in the afterlife and alabaster canopic jars to hold their organs. The find shows that even in preparation for the afterlife, money and position mattered. “We have so many mummies that were discovered: Some buried with nothing, others buried with objects that are moderate in terms of value. Others with very, very expensive objects like the gilded mask that we are putting on display today,” Hussein said. The shaft, 100-feet deep, has still more secrets to reveal. “This is just the beginning of the discovery”, said Mostafa Al Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Next season, they will open the four remaining sealed sarcophagi. Across the country, the latest technology has spurred the speed of discoveries as archaeologists revisit old sites to unearth new ancient wonders.<doc-sep>
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. 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. 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. 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.