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5,600-year-old mummy discovered in Egypt

May 8, 2014
Saqqara - the site of a newly-discovered tomb dating back to 1,100 BC. Credit: Amr Nabil/AP
Saqqara – the site of a newly-discovered tomb dating back to 1,100 BC. Credit: Amr Nabil/AP

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a tomb and mummy dating back to 3,500 B.C, announced the Ministry of Antiquities.

The tomb pre-dates the First Dynasty and was discovered in Kom Al-Ahmar region, an area between Aswan and Luxor in the south of Egypt.

According to the Antiquities Ministry, the preserved tomb was found on the site of Hierakonpolis (the falcon city), which had once been a pre-dynastic urban city and the capital of the Kingdom of Upper Egypt.

The mummy discovered appeared to be of a young man who died in his teenage years. The discovery has been hailed as an opportunity to research pre-dynastic rituals and history.

3,114-year-old tomb discovered in Saqqara

An archaeology worker covers limestones at a newly-discovered tomb in Saqqara. Credit: Amr Nabil/AP
An archaeology worker covers limestones at a newly-discovered tomb in Saqqara. Credit: Amr Nabil/AP

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Antiquities has also announced that it has discovered a tomb dating back to 1,100 B.C.

The tomb was discovered in Saqqara, south of Cairo, by a team from Cairo University’s Faculty of Archaeology.

The Minister of Antiquities declared that the tomb belongs to a guard of the army archives and a royal messenger to foreign nations, adding that the tomb will provide important insight into the history of Saqqara.

Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt and served as a necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara is also the site of the oldest known pyramid in Egypt.

Comments (3)

  1. Robin Young says:

    Cheryl, the article references two separate tombs, in two separate locations, found by two different groups of archaeologists. One in Sakkara, one near Edfu.

  2. Cheryl says:

    Great news! I am confused though, is this in Saqqara near Cairo or in “Kom Al-Ahmar region, an area between Aswan and Luxor in the south of Egypt”? Or are these locations one and the same? I was on a day trip to Saqqara from Cairo and it certainly seemed like it was way too far away from between Luxor and Aswan…..

    1. mm Mohamed Khairat says:

      As Robin stated, these are two different discoveries: one in Kom Al-Ahmar (5,600-year-oldtomb/mummy) and one in Saqqara (3,100-year-old tomb)