Pink sarcophagus — weighing over 22,000 pounds — found at family burial site in Egypt
Sealed in granite and buried underground, a mummy remained undisturbed for millennia. Not anymore.
Archaeologists excavating the Dra’ Abu el-Naga’ Necropolis in Luxor, Egypt, uncovered a family burial site, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a Wednesday, Jan. 25, news release. The site contained 30 burial wells, all of a similar age, design and construction.
Except for one grave where archaeologists unearthed a pink granite sarcophagus weighing over 22,000 pounds, the release said.
The sarcophagus belonged to a man named Ankho who served as minister to Pharaoh Sobekhotep II during ancient Egypt’s 13th dynasty, researchers said. A small stele uncovered near the sarcophagus had an engraving of Ankho giving offerings to his Pharaoh. Photos show the white stone stele.
Ancient Egypt’s 13th dynasty was a period from about 1756 B.C. to 1630 B.C., according to Britannica. During this dynasty, about 70 different kings occupied the throne. Sobekhotep II was one of them.
Archaeologists also found a mud brick building at the 3,600-year-old burial site, per the release. The building contained a set of Ushabti statues, white-painted human-shaped figures decorated with black ink. Amulets shaped like scarab beetles, beads and hundreds of funerary seals were also found at the site, photos show.
The family burials are the first graves from the 13th dynasty ever found at Luxor, archaeologists said.
Luxor is about 400 miles south of Cairo and along the Nile River.
Google Translateand Facebook Translate were used to translate the news release from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
This story was originally published January 26, 2023 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Pink sarcophagus — weighing over 22,000 pounds — found at family burial site in Egypt."
