Daijiworld Media Network - Cairo
Cairo, Jul 22: Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a previously unknown burial complex at the Tel El-Qweisna necropolis in the Nile Delta, a discovery expected to deepen understanding of funerary customs and international trade during the Late and Graeco-Roman periods.
The excavation was carried out by a team from Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities during ongoing archaeological work at the historic site in Menoufia Governorate, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Wednesday.
According to the ministry, the newly discovered complex features a carefully planned architectural design centred around a main hall that leads to several vaulted burial chambers. Researchers believe the layout offers valuable insights into the construction and organisation of burial structures used during these historical periods.
Archaeologists also recovered a large collection of funerary artefacts reflecting ancient Egyptian beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife.
Among the most notable discoveries were 560 faience ushabti figurines of varying sizes, several of which bear inscriptions from the Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptian funerary text traditionally placed in tombs to guide the deceased in the afterlife.
The excavation further revealed imported pottery from the Greek island of Rhodes, including part of a vessel handle carrying the potter's name. Officials said the find provides fresh archaeological evidence of active commercial exchanges between Ancient Egypt and Mediterranean civilisations during the Late and Graeco-Roman eras.
Discovered in 1991, the Tel El-Qweisna necropolis is regarded as one of the Nile Delta's most significant archaeological sites, preserving burial traditions that evolved over multiple historical periods.
The latest discovery follows another important archaeological breakthrough announced by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities last month at Tell Kom Aziza in Beheira Governorate, north of Cairo.
Excavations at that site uncovered part of a Greco-Roman cemetery, highlighting the region's importance as a settlement occupied across different eras.
Archaeologists identified a variety of burial styles, including simple pit graves, mud-brick-lined tombs, painted plaster coffins and barrel-shaped pottery coffins associated with the Ptolemaic period.
Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, said the discoveries provide a comprehensive picture of how settlements developed over centuries while offering insights into everyday life and the relationship between ancient communities and their environment.
Meanwhile, Hisham Elleithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said preliminary examinations of the human remains indicate considerable diversity in burial customs, including differences in body orientation, positioning and funerary practices, offering researchers new avenues for understanding the cultural evolution of ancient Egyptian society.