Egypt uncovered ancient treasures found at the Saqqara archaeological site south of Cairo, including sarcophagi over 3,000 years old, a discovery that will rewrite history.

Saqqara is an immense necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site home to more than a dozen pyramids, ancient monasteries, and animal burial sites.

A team overseen by Hawass made the finds near the pyramid of King Teti, the first pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.

More than 50 wooden sarcophagi dating back between the (11th century BC to 16th century BC) dating back to the New Kingdom were found in a burial shaft.

Hawass says this discovery re-writes the history of Saqqara and more specifically the history of the New Kingdom, which began 3,000 years ago.

He said his team had discovered a total of 22 shafts.

Hawass says one of the coffins belonged to a soldier. We found the axe that he used to fight.

The games, known as Senet and Game 20, were placed in the tombs so the dead could play on in the afterlife.

Hawass says those who win at Senet will go to the other world, to the field of Aaru this is the paradise of ancient Egypt.

He added that it is a rare and new discovery because most of the artefacts we found are dated back to the New Kingdom, whereas in Saqqara, it’s usually more around 500 BC.

Objects including human skulls and bones were displayed to the media, while excavations of the site are ongoing.

Major Discoveries

Hawass added that the artefacts unearthed by the team represent only 30% of what is expected, adding that 70% still remains buried under the sands of Saqqara.

Egypt’s tourism and antiquities ministry had announced major discoveries at Saqqara, where there has been a flurry of excavations in recent years.

He added that a stone sarcophagus was also found, as well as a papyrus around 5 metres long containing the 17th chapter of the book of the dead including masks, wooden boats, and games the ancient Egyptians used to play.

The ministry says the team had also discovered the epitaphic temple of Queen Nearit, the wife of King Teti, which had already been partially discovered in recent years.

Three warehouses made of bricks were also found on the site and were used to store ritual offerings to the deities.

The Saqqara site is also home to one of the earliest built pyramids in ancient Egypt the step pyramid of Djoser.

Later this year, and after several delays, authorities hope to inaugurate a new museum the Grand Egyptian Museum at the Giza plateau, home to the famed Giza pyramids.

Egypt hopes archaeological discoveries will spur tourism, a sector which has suffered diverse shocks, from a 2011 uprising to today’s Covid-19 pandemic.

By Yazdaan Khan