CAIRO: An Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission has uncovered early this month a group of 33 previously unknown Graeco-Roman family tombs in the vicinity of the Aga Khan Mausoleum at Aswan’s west bank. The discovery sheds light on the diseases inhabitants of that era had suffered.

The cemetery of more than 400 tombs from the sixth century BC to the third century AD is located on more than 10 levels of terraces.

The tombs have distinguished architectural design, some have vaulted entrances preceded by an open courtyard surrounded by mudbrick walls, while others are directly carved into the mountain rock.

‘It is a very significant discovery, adding a new historical dimension to the Aga Khan area,’ said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). He explained that some of the tombs contain parts of mummies and remnants of funerary tools, providing valuable insights into that period and prevalent diseases.

Among the mummified bodies are an adult, probably a woman, a
nd a child, with an estimated age at death ranging between one to two years old, resting one over the other in a stone coffin.

Further analysis will be carried out to understand the relationship between the two bodies. Additionally, many mummified remnants were found inside the tombs along with fragmentary painted terracotta figurines, stone and wooden coffins. Offering tables and many painted cartonnages were found.

Source: Emirates News Agency