MUMMY MADNESS
Eerie trove of HUNDREDS of ‘cursed’ ancient Egyptian mummies found in ‘city of the dead’
HUNDREDS of perfectly preserved mummies inside painted sarcophagi have been unearthed in Egypt's "city of the dead".
A cache of sarcophagi and bronze statuettes – including one of pioneering architect Imhotep – were unveiled by Egyptian authories on Monday at the Saqqara archaeological site south of Cairo.
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Their discovery is likely to spark fears of an ancient curse that is said to be cast on anyone who disturbs an Egyptian mummy.
The sarcophagi and stauettes were the latest in a series of discoveries made in the area.
Saqqara is a vast necropolis – a city-sized collection of tombs – of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to more than a dozen pyramids.
Among the 150 bronze statuettes unearthed in the latest findings is one of Imhotep.
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The pioneer "revolutionised architecture" in the ancient world, Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Council of Antiquities, said.
Imhotep, who lived in the third millenium BC, built the Djoser step pyramid, one of the earliest in ancient Egypt.
He later became the god of medicine.
Waziri revealed a goal for the archaeological mission, which has so far undertaken four seasons of excavations in the area: "To find the tomb of Imhotep."
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Stunning discovery
Other unearthed statuettes depict various gods and goddesses including Bastet, Anubis, Osiris, Amunmeen, Isis, Nefertum and Hathor, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The mission also unveiled "250 wooden sarcophagi with mummies inside, dating back to the Late Period," around the fifth century BC, Waziri said.
Inside one sarcophagus, the team found an untouched and sealed papyrus, he said.
It has been transferred to the laboratory of the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo for full restoration and study, Waziri said.
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He added the papyrus – estimated at nine metres (9.9 yards) long – likely contains chapters of the Book of the Dead.
The famed collections of funerary texts are composed of spells that Egyptian used to guide the dead through the underworld.
The sarcophagi will be moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which authorities hope to inaugurate near Cairo's Giza pyramids later this year after repeated delays.
Hopes are high that the new museum, in addition to archaeological discoveries of recent years, will help revive the country's vital tourism industry.
The sector has been battered by successive blows, including the 2011 revolution and ensuing unrest, the coronavirus pandemic, and now a halt of Russian and Ukranian tourists, who accounted for a large portion of the country's visitors.
Among other findings at Saqqara, Egypt in March unveiled five ancient Pharaonic tombs, and in January last year announced the discovery of more than 50 wooden sarcophagi dating from the New Kingdom which ended in the 11th century BC.
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Mummy curse fears
The legend of an ancient "curse of the pharaohs" or "mummy's curse" has been around for millennia.
The hex is said to be cast upon anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian, especially a pharaoh.
It first enjoyed worldwide acclaim following the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.
British archaeologist Haward Carter famously unearthed the untouched final resting place of the 18th dynasty pharaoh in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
Many believe Tut's remains are cursed as the opening of his tomb was followed by a string of deaths of people involved with the discovery.
Archaeologists, and even their family members, died from horrible illnesses or in strange accidents – and some say the deaths weren't a coincidence.
A number of other mysterious deaths have been linked to the opening of Egyptian tombs in the decades since.
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However, experts have repeatedly rubbished rumours of a curse, dismissing them as little more than folklore.
The myth is said to have been cooked up by Ancient Egyptians as a way to deter thieves from looting tombs.
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