Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a series of nearly 2,000-year-old tombs on the Mediterranean coast and the remains of a Byzantine-era planned city in the western desert, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.
The coastal discovery was made in Marina El-Alamein, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Alexandria, where recent excavations uncovered 18 Greco-Roman tombs, the ministry said in a statement Saturday.
Several burial chambers were discovered with their original stone slabs still in place, while a granite sarcophagus measuring around 2.5 meters (8 ft) was found with its lid intact, suggesting that the tombs had remained sealed for almost two millennia.
Inside the tombs, archaeologists found human remains along with pottery, amphorae and other funerary objects.
Among the most notable finds are 24 gold objects placed inside the mouths of several individuals, a funerary practice associated with beliefs about the afterlife.
The site is believed to correspond to the ancient city of Leukaspis, a Mediterranean port that flourished between the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods.
The latest discovery brings to 44 the total number of known graves at Marina El-Alamein since the site was first identified in 1986 during construction work, the ministry said.
Separately, in the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt’s western desert, archaeologists discovered the remains of a Byzantine-era settlement at Ain al-Sabil, dating back to around the 4th century AD, the ministry said on Friday.
The city, built of adobe, features a planned street grid, public plazas, residential buildings, a basilica-style church, and defensive structures, indicating an organized urban community in the desert hinterland.
The site also yielded around 200 ostraca written in Coptic and Greek, along with bronze and gold coins, including examples linked to the reign of the Roman emperor Constantius II (337-361 AD).
Egypt has been trying to increase its tourism revenue, and high-profile archaeological finds are frequently used to showcase the country’s cultural heritage and attract international visitors.
Tourism is a key source of foreign currency, along with revenue from the Suez Canal and remittances from Egyptians working abroad.
