New tombs found from ancient Alexandria.
This week, during excavation work being carried out in the area neighboring the Ibrahimiya tunnel, Egyptian archaeologists found another section of the eastern necropolis of ancient Alexandria that once stretched from Shatbi to the Mustafa Kamel district.
The newly discovered area contains four rock-hewn tombs from the Greco-Roman and Byzantine eras as well as a number of tombs at a deeper level and a rich funerary collection.
"This is a very important discovery that adds more to the archaeological map of Alexandria," Minister of State for Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Ibrahim said the discovery would allow scientists to decipher more about the history of ancient Alexandria and would also add another tourist destination to the beautiful city of Alexandria. He said that this and similar excavations were conducted as part of archaeological inspections routinely carried out at the request of constructors who have purchased the land prior to the commencement of construction. According to Egyptian law, every piece of land should be subject to archaeological inspection before it can be claimed as a free zone for construction.
Among the new discoveries at the site is a very finely decorated clay container from the second century BC known as a hydra, a large pot with a long neck that held the cremated ashes of the deceased.
Mohamed Mustafa, director-general of Alexandria antiquities, said the most distinguished tomb was the one dating from the Greco-Roman period which included a wide open court with two cylindrical rock columns in the centre. Two burial shafts filled with human skeletons and clay pots were also uncovered inside the court, along with a tombstone engraved with the deceased's name.
Mustafa told the Weekly that the tomb walls still bore a layer of plaster and traces of red paint.
The second tomb has eight rock-hewn steps and stretches under a modern building, while the third and fourth tombs are located on a deeper level and held a number of clay lamps and pots of different shapes and sizes.
Within the debris, Mustafa pointed out, archaeologists discovered a small burial of a woman and her son dating from the late Roman period.
Following the discovery the area has now been claimed as a protected archaeological site and any construction work is prohibited.
Source: Al-Ahram Weekly
Your Rating:
Overall rating: 5.000
Totally voted: 1
Comments
Weather in:
Exchange Rates
-
IMF loan expected next month
Apr 22, 2013, rating: 3.000, 3 votesEgypt may secure an International Monetary Fund loan agreement in about amonth, state news agency MENA reported, quoting "informed" sources ... -
Egypt received 11 million tourists in 2012 and aims to boost that number to 14 million in 2013.
Jan 22, 2013, rating: 3.000, 2 votesEgypt received 11 million tourists in 2012 and aims to boost that number to 14 million in 2013.
-
Egypt limits travelers leaving country to US$10,000 in cash
Dec 26, 2012, rating: 3.250, 4 votesEgypt has banned travelers from carrying more than US$10,000 in foreigncurrency cash in or out of the country ... -
National Coalition on Climate Change for Egypt is born
Nov 30, 2012, rating: 5.000, 1 votesThe global COP18 conference on climate change opens in Doha Monday.About 17,000 participants from all over the world ... -
Judgment for sexual harassment
Nov 14, 2012, rating: 3.600, 5 votesA man was sentenced to two years in prison and fined LE 2,000 for sexually harassing a woman, an ... -
Scientists are enthusiastic about hydrogen's green applications
Nov 13, 2012, rating: 4.000, 3 votesAs fossil fuel reserves decrease, many countries are turning to hydrogen as one of the main sources of alternative energy ...