By Kaya Miller
In a year where just about anything seems possible, it is no surprise people have tried guessing what new event or catastrophe each month will bring. Throughout the year, people have theorized about aliens, the attack of killer hornets, and just about whatever other ridiculous thing imaginable, because let’s face it, this year has taught us to prepare for the unexpected. Despite the many bizarre memes that have been created, I doubt anyone thought we would also have to add a huge number of ancient mummies to the list of wild events.
Of course, no cursed corpses have run amuck. However in Egypt, a whopping 100 plus sarcophagi were just discovered, with more to uncover. During a recent excavation in Saqqara, Egypt, archaeologists unearthed many bodies in previously undisturbed coffins. To be specific, they dug up over 100 delicately decorated wooden coffins alongside funerary masks and 40 statues of the Egyptian deity, Ptah Soker, the god of craftsmen and architects. These coffins were exhumed from being buried at least 12 feet underground, and were colored as well as sealed. These nicer coffins can be traced back to the Ptolemaic periods, and they belonged to many high-ranking members of those societies.
As with any archeological discovery, especially one as large as this—already dubbed the largest such find of 2020–it is sure to add to previous knowledge researchers and scholars have gathered about ancient Egyptian religion and lifestyles. Moreover, archeologists are proving that this relatively unexplored location was a popular burying ground. This is undoubtedly true based on the amount of unearthed sarcophagi, with possibly more to follow.
These recent finds are from an extended exhumation process begun in October, when the dig initially found around 59 mummies. Since then, the sarcophagi discovered have doubled, and archaeologists have big plans for these new mummies. Due to Covid, national tourism n Egypt has been on pause. Since this North African nation relies heavily on tourism revenue, it hopes to exhibit the new coffins and statues next year. In doing so, the government hopes to help Egypt’s tourist industry get back on its feet, rising up from the depths of economic disaster. Happily, after hundreds of years underground, the painted coffins appear to be in perfect shape, so they are sure to bring in the money whenever they can be safely exhibited.
Ideally, next year Egyptian museums will thrive because of of these very exciting and informational discoveries, and we can all hope that the scariest predictive memes of 2020 do not come true.
If you would like to read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/world/middleeast/egypt-discovery-mummies.html