30 mummies found in newly discovered tomb in Egypt

[February 09, 2009]  CAIRO (AP) -- Egyptian archaeologists say they have discovered 30 mummies inside a 4,600-year-old tomb, in the latest round of excavations at the vast necropolis of Saqqara 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Cairo.

Egypt's chief archeologist, Zahi Hawas, says the new tomb was found Sunday at the bottom of a 36-foot (11-meter) deep well. Eight of the mummies were in sarcophagi and the rest had been placed in niches in the wall.

Hawas has described the new site as a "storeroom for mummies."

His assistant Abdel Hakim Karar said Monday the use of such niches was rare during that period of time.

Excavations have been ongoing at Saqqara for 150 years, uncovering a vast cemetery dating mostly from the Old Kingdom, but including sites as recent as the Roman era.

[Associated Press]

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