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‘City of the Dead’: 36 tombs spanning 900 years of rich history unearthed in Egypt
The findings from the excavation project indicated that the burial practices of the ancient society were intricately linked to social class distinctions.
Archaeologists discovered 36 tombs, each containing 30 to 40 mummies. The tombs were apparently reused for up to 900 years. Families that may have perished from infectious diseases were also present in a number of them. These mummies were found in the city of Aswan, which was an important trading, quarrying, and military hub when it was first founded more than 4,500 years ago. It is located on the eastern bank of the Nile River, Egypt as per reports.
The burial site extends about 270,000 feet, according to University of Milan researcher Patrizia Piacentini. Additionally, it included up to ten terraces of ancient tombs arranged in tiers on a hillside. Piacentini stated that this indicates that the hillside was covered in tombs by the city's residents, making it almost like a "City of the Dead," reported the Science Times.
The findings from the excavation project indicated that the burial practices of the ancient society were intricately linked to social class distinctions. It was determined by the archaeologists that individuals belonging to the elite class were interred in locations situated above those of the middle-class individuals. (Also Read: Bread that was left uncooked 8,600 years ago in Turkey’s Çatalhöyük dubbed as world’s oldest)
As per the report, it was noted that the 36 recently discovered tombs were either 300 or 600 AD old. This is a historical period rich in Persian dominance, Roman rule, and the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty. The head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities' Egyptian Antiquities Division, Ayman Ashmawy, stated that mummy tests revealed that between 30-40% of the buried people died when still quite young. Most of them passed away as young adults or babies. They also found other families, indicating that the deaths might have been caused by an infection. (Also Read: Polish scientists discover world's first 'pregnant' Egyptian mummy)
The team is optimistic about continuing their work to reveal the rich history of the diverse population in the Egyptian city of Aswan.
