Hundreds of clay urns found in a burial shaft dating back to the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt, found at the Abusir necropolis near Cairo. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
Hundreds of clay urns found in a burial shaft dating back to the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt, found at the Abusir necropolis near Cairo. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
Hundreds of clay urns found in a burial shaft dating back to the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt, found at the Abusir necropolis near Cairo. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
Hundreds of clay urns found in a burial shaft dating back to the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt, found at the Abusir necropolis near Cairo. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Ancient Egyptian embalming materials unearthed near Cairo


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
  • Arabic

A Czech archaeological mission working in the Abusir necropolis, on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, have unearthed a cache of embalming materials dating back over 2,500 years.

Egypt's Tourism Ministry said the haul was found by accident during excavations of burial shafts in the western portion of the necropolis near Cairo.

The burial shafts were created during the rule of the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt, the last native dynasty to rule the country before the Persian conquest in 525BC.

Excavation workers unearthed hundreds of clay urns containing traces of embalming materials. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
Excavation workers unearthed hundreds of clay urns containing traces of embalming materials. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's antiquities authority, said the cache was found at the bottom of a particularly large burial shaft 14 metres deep.

The dig uncovered 370 large clay urns containing traces of materials used by priests to embalm bodies before they were mummified and buried, the ministry said.

The team also found empty canopic jars, inscribed with the name of their owner in hieroglyphs.

A set of canopic jars found at the bottom of a burial shaft in the Abusir necropolis. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
A set of canopic jars found at the bottom of a burial shaft in the Abusir necropolis. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Canopic jars were an integral part of the mummification process in ancient Egypt as they were used to preserve the deceased’s visceral organs, which were believed to be vital for them to thrive in the afterlife.

The ministry said the cache of urns will now undergo analysis using the latest scientific techniques.

This clay urn was part of large cache excavated by a Czech archaeological mission working in Egypt. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
This clay urn was part of large cache excavated by a Czech archaeological mission working in Egypt. Photo: Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Miroslav Barta, head of the Czech mission, said the find was part of a larger excavation at Abusir to unveil details about “a time in ancient Egyptian history when new ways of preserving the national identity were being explored”.

He said the Abusir necropolis had contributed greatly to revealing lesser known aspects of ancient Egypt.

The necropolis is famous for yielding some of the oldest pharaonic relics, including a number of step pyramids which date back to the 3rd dynasty of ancient Egypt (2670–2650BC).

Further excavations at Abusir are planned throughout the year, the ministry said.

Archeologists unearth ancient tombs in Nile Delta - in pictures

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Total eligible population

About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not

Where are the unvaccinated?

England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14% 

If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

Most wanted allegations
  • Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
  • Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
  • Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer. 
  • Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
  • Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
  • John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
  • Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
  • Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
  • Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain. 
  • Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
  • James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
  • Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack. 
Updated: February 11, 2022, 5:28 PM