Archaeologists uncover ‘City of the Dead’ with more than 300 tombs: Report

New Delhi, India

Scientists have unearthed an ancient cemetery with more than 300 tombs of mummies in Egypt - a site that is located near the city of Aswan. It is being dubbed the new "City of the Dead" after the discovery. 

More than 4,500 years ago, the site near Aswan acted as an important quarry, trade and military zone. However, scientists are still trying to figure out the lives of people who were living there. 

Mail Online reported that archaeologists have been at the site for five years and recently found 36 new tombs that were said to be in use for some 900 years, between the 6th century BC and the 9th century AD. 

Each tomb could fit between 30 and 40 mummies inside, the report mentioned, further adding that some had families in them. 

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Patrizia Piacentini, who is an archaeologist at the University of Milan, told Mail Online: "Aswan was a crossing point since forever. People were coming from the east to the west. People came here because it was the border, products from the south arrived in Aswan and then dispersed everywhere else." 

While mentioning the tombs, Piacentini said, "This was a really spectacular find, very unique in Egypt. It is kind of a 'City of the Dead'". 

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She said that the burial site, which is next to Aga Khan III's mausoleum, is around 270,000 feet long. She added that it's around 10 terraces of ancient tombs arranged in layers. 

People were apparently buried according to their social class, with those who were of higher status buried towards the top of the hill. The middle class in the middle and the lower classes were buried towards the bottom, the report said. 

Scans have revealed that the "City of the Dead" was initially discovered in 2019 when a single tomb containing the mummies of two children and their later believed mother and father were found. 

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In the aftermath, the scientists have uncovered dozens more tombs in each dig which provided more clues about an unexplored society that lived more than 2,000 years ago. 

The report noted that the remaining mummies will be examined and replaced as needed, meanwhile, the best-preserved ones will be given to museums for permanent preservation and display. 

Piacentini further said, "This is their resting place. We uncover their story and then we put them back and close the tomb. For me, it was important from the beginning." 

(With inputs from agencies)