Council of Antiquities says discovery sheds new light on country's ancient religions.
By ASSOCIATED PRESSegypt mummy 311(photo credit: AP)
CAIRO — Archeologists have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs, most of them containing a painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announced Sunday.The council said the oldest tombs dated back to around 2750 BC, with twelve of the tombs belonging to the 18th dynasty which ruled Egypt during the second millennium BC.It said the discovery shed new light on Egypt's ancient religions.Council chief Zahi Hawass said the mummies were covered in linen decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead and scenes featuring ancient Egyptian deities.The council said in a statement Sunday that the findings were unearthed at Lahoun, in Fayoum, some 100 kilometers south of Cairo.Last year, some 53 stone tombs dating back to various ancient periods were found in the same area.
