Egypt showcases scores of 2,500-year-old coffins

Egypt on Saturday showcased more than 100 coffins dating back 2,500 years, the latest and largest find this year in the vast burial ground of the Saqqara Necropolis.

***Coffins with gold gilded faces and cartonnage. It was believed that gods have gold skin and gold gilded mummies represent the transition of the deceased into a god…***

The 6th Dynasty coffins – sealed, finely painted and well-preserved – were of a higher quality than previous finds there, said the secretary-general of the supreme council of antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, suggesting they belonged to higher ranking families.

Fifty-nine coffins were unearthed in August at the same UNESCO world heritage site. More treasures are expected to be found there, said Waziri.

***Dozens of funerary objects were unearthed, like these votive offerings to the cat goddess Bastet.***

The newly-discovered coffins, plus associated mummies and artefacts, will go on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to open next year.