In October, archaeologists in Egypt lifted the lid on a major discovery. With an excited crowd watching, researchers slowly opened an ancient coffin. Inside was a mummy wrapped in a colorful cloth. Experts say it was the body of a man who died about 2,600 years ago.
The coffin, called a sarcophagus, was one of dozens recently unearthed near Cairo, Egypt’s capital. The coffins were found deep underground in the Saqqara necropolis, a huge ancient cemetery that is also the site of pyramids and other ruins.
Ancient Egyptians often carefully preserved as mummies the bodies of those who died. They believed that a person would need his or her body in the afterlife.
Some of the coffins were covered with hieroglyphs (HY-roh-glifs)—pictures that the ancient Egyptians used to represent words. The pictures indicate that the people inside the coffins were priests and government officials. Archaeologists expect to discover even more mummies nearby.
“I consider this the beginning of a big discovery,” said Egyptian official Khaled El-Anany.