Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced several major discoveries by an Egyptian archaeological mission at the Marina Alamein archaeological site, on the north-western Mediterranean coast, believed to be the ancient city of Leukaspis.
What was found
- 18 previously unknown tombs, including rock-cut chambers up to 8 metres deep, some sealed and untouched since antiquity.
- A 2.5-metre granite sarcophagus with its original lid.
- 24 gold funerary amulets known as “golden tongues,” including a gold Eye of Horus.
- Pottery, limestone altars, glass vessels, a fragment of a statue of Harpocrates and an unfinished marble statue believed to depict Aphrodite.
Why it matters
The finds date mainly to the Hellenistic and Roman periods and shed new light on the burial customs of this thriving coastal city.
Source: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities, as reported by HeritageDaily.
