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Culture News

Ancient rocky cemetery unearthed in Egypt's Giza

2018-09-06 09:28:39

CAIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian archaeological mission discovered an ancient rocky cemetery near the pyramid of Senusret I in Lisht village of Ayyat district in Giza province, south of the capital Cairo, the Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The cemetery was unearthed 300 meters northeastern the pyramid of Senusret I in Lisht," said the statement.

The cemetery consists of two parts, the first of which is an open courtyard with a passage containing hieroglyphic inscriptions and leading to a hall.

The second part of the cemetery consists of a three-meter deep well whose western inner side has a passage leading to the first burial chamber whose southern wall has an entrance to another chamber.

Each chamber has a distinguished empty limestone coffin with unique inscriptions, according to the statement.

The southern inner side of the well has an entrance to other chambers that will be soon discovered during the mission's work.

"The owner of the cemetery is still unknown, for there are no inscriptions referring to his identity," said Yasser Hassan Abdel-Fattah, General Director of Dahshur and Lisht Antiquities, noting that further studies will enable the mission to reveal more information about him.

The village of Lisht in Giza is known for being a site of the Middle Kingdom royal and elite burials, including the two pyramids built by ancient kings Senusert I and Amenemhat I.

Adel Okasha, head of the Central Administration for Cairo and Giza Antiquities, said that the excavation works carried out in Lisht region are done in line with the ministry's excavation plan for promising archeological sites.

Editor:Jiang Yiwei