Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of an enormous trove of ancient artifacts across more than 60 different burial sites Wednesday.
A mission led by the Supreme Council of Archaeology unearthed 63 different milk brick tombs and “some simple burials” in the city of Damietta, on the northern Mediterranean coast, according to a statement from the Ministry. The graves appear to date back to the 26th dynasty (688 to 525 B.C.) and the Ptolemaic period (304 to 30 B.C.), LiveScience reported.
” … a collection of funerary amulets, ushabti statues, and pottery vessels were found, in addition to the remains of architectural units and a pottery vessel containing 38 bronze coins,” the statement continued.
A large collection of imported pottery suggests the region was incredibly important as a trading center throughout the various time periods. (RELATED: Drama Erupts As Ancient Tomb Is Linked To Major Historical Figure In Contentious Study)
Many of the gold coins appear to be minted with the head of Zeus Ammon — a deity combining the Greek god Zeus and Egyptian god Ammon, who is affiliated with prophecies, Center for Alexandrian Studies director Thomas Faucher told Live Science.
Gold foil figurines of “ba-birds” were also uncovered. These mythological creatures have wings and a human head, and were said to gather food to feed the dead, according to Swansea University’s Egypt Center (which is one of the best places on the planet. Trust me, I’ve been going there since before I could walk). Other figures included the “eye of Horus,” which was believed to have protective powers.
