Latest news on the granite sarcophagus discovered in Alexandria

The results of the archaeological studies carried out by a team of researchers from the Ministry of Antiquities on the skeletons found inside the black granite sarcophagus uncovered early last month in Sidi Gaber district in Alexandria have been announced.

Credit: Egyptian Antiquities Authority

According to Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the preliminary studies carried out by a team of researchers headed by Dr. Zeinab Hasheesh, Director of the Department of the Skeleton Remains Studies at the Ministry of Antiquities, have determined the gender, and age of the skeletons found inside the Alexandria sarcophagus, according to the anatomy of the skulls, pelvis and longitudinal bones through anthropological examination.

He added that the team had also found gold sheets within the bones of the skeletons and are now being to studied.

Credit: Egyptian Antiquities Authority

Dr. Nadia Kheider, Head of the Central Department of Antiquities of Lower Egypt said that the first skeleton belongs to a woman between the age of 20 to 25 years old, with a height around 160 to 164 cm. The second one belongs to a man between the age of 35 to 39 years old, with a height ranging between 160 to 165.5 cm while the third skeleton is for a man between the age of 40 and 44 years old and its height was between 179 to 184.5 cm

She pointed out that studies on the right bone located on the back area of the skull shows a rounded cavity of 17 cm wide which reveals that the owner of this skull has survived a long period with this cavity. This means that the cavity is a result of a surgery.

Credit: Egyptian Antiquities Authority

Dr. Hashish said that this probably the “trepanation” surgery where a burr hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull.

“This surgery is the oldest surgical intervention ever known since pre-history but was rare in Egypt,” Hashish said.

Credit: Egyptian Antiquities Authority

She added that few skulls with this surgery were found in Egypt among those found in Qasr Al-Eini Hospital museum and both skulls found in Maya and Merit’s tombs in Saqqara Necropolis.

Dr.Waziri explains that most probably the burring processes inside the sarcophagus were carried out on two consecutive phases as every skeleton was found on top of one another.

Credit: Egyptian Antiquities Authority

Dr. Ayman Ashmawy, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector said that the researchers have cleaned all the remains found inside the sarcophagus and archaeologically documented all the bones and skulls as well as the gold sheets.

He pointed out that the strange colour of the water found inside the sarcophagus is probably resulted from the mixing of the sewage water that filled the sarcophagus with the remnains of the skeletons’ wrappings which have been decomposed from the sewage water.

Credit: Egyptian Antiquities Authority

Now, Dr. Ashmawy said, several analyzes are carried out on the water to uncover more about its components.

Dr. Waziri asserted that more researches and studies are carried out as well as DNA tests and CT Scans on the bones of the skeletons to know more about them and whether they have any familial relationship.

Source: Egyptian Antiquities Authority [August 19, 2018]