Archaeologists discover 33 ancient tombs in Egypt's Aswan

Egyptian and Greco-Roman family graves expected to provide new insight into ancient diseases and burials

One of the tombs discovered west of Aswan. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Dozens of family tombs containing mummies and artefacts have been discovered near the city of Aswan in southern Egypt.

An Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission unearthed 33 tombs while working near the Aga Khan Mausoleum west of Aswan, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Sunday.

The tombs date from the Late Period of Ancient Egypt (664-332BC), the Ptolemaic period when the country was ruled by a Greek-speaking dynasty (305-30BC), and the Roman period (30BC-641AD).

The tombs, some of which still contain mummified remains and funerary objects, are expected to provide new insight into the history of the Aga Khan area and diseases that afflicted its ancient inhabitants.

"This discovery adds new history to the Aga Khan area," said Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Dr Ayman Ashmawy, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said preliminary studies on the mummified remains suggest 30 per cent to 40 per cent of those buried in the tombs died young, ranging from newborns to adolescents.

The tombs vary in architectural design, with some featuring vaulted entrances preceded by open courtyards surrounded by mud-brick walls while others are carved directly into the mountain rock.

Among the discoveries within the tombs are several mummies, including those of an adult, possibly a woman, and a child who may have died between the ages of one and two. The two bodies were found still adjoined inside a stone sarcophagus, a mystery the mission plans to investigate further.

Other finds include remnants of coloured cartonnage, clay and stone figurines, wooden coffins and offering tables.

Dr Abdel Moneim Saeed, General Supervisor of Aswan and Nubia Antiquities and director of the Egyptian side of the mission, suggested the middle class of Aswan Island's inhabitants were buried in this part of the necropolis, while the upper part was designated for the upper class.

A funerary mask unearthed at an archaeological site in Aswan that comprised 33 tombs dating back to various periods of Egypt's long history. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Advanced technology, including X-ray analysis, has been used to study the discovered mummies, revealing details about their facial features, sex, age at death and the presence of organic diseases.

Dr Patrizia Piacentini, professor of Egyptology at the University of Milan and director of the Italian side of the mission, noted that preliminary studies on the mummies indicated some suffered from infectious diseases, bone disorders, anaemia, malnutrition, chest disease, tuberculosis and osteoporosis.

Some were found to have died at an advanced age with severe bone disease.

The mission is expected to continue its work at the site, aiming to discover more about the ancient inhabitants of the area.

The lower fragment of a sarcophagus found at Aswan. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities