Egyptian archaeologists have discovered an ancient necropolis containing 40 stone sarcophagi, about 1,000 small statues and a necklace charm bearing the hieroglyphic inscription “happy new year.”
Antiquities minister Khaled El-Enany said on Saturday (February 24) the discovery near Tuna al-Gabal, south of Cairo, consisted of a large number of burial shafts dating from the late Pharaonic period to the early Ptolemaic era.
The site, which is more than 2,000 years old, is expected to take another five years to excavate.
Egypt‘s relics are a draw for foreign visitors and authorities hope new finds can help attract more as a way to help revive tourism hit by the unrest that followed the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
