Archaeologists discovered three rock-hewn shafts containing coffins and pottery vessels at the Abusir necropolis, near Cairo, Egypt.

The discovery was made after the authorities received reports of illegal excavations in the area. Salvage excavations at the site unearthed three rock-hewn burial shafts containing funerary collections, including four wooden coffins in bad conservation condition bearing hieroglyphic texts. According to Sabri Farag who led the team, one of these texts bears the cartouche of King Ptolemy IV (244-204 BC), but the remaining text is not clear enough to decipher. More studies are set to be carried out in order to determine during which reign they were made.

The coffins are said to contain four mummified bodies, presumably of birds, along with three round-shaped linen wrappings housing the mummies’ organs. A collection of 38 symbolic pots carved in faience was also found. All the artefacts are being kept in storage at the site for restoration.

(after Ahram Online)