Egypt reopens two ancient pyramids, unveils new discovery

Earlier on Saturday, Egypt announced it plans to reopen two ancient pyramids located at the south of the capital Cairo and will unveil a collection of newly discovered sarcophagi, some containing well-preserved mummies.
Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani told newsmen that the Bent Pyramid of King Sneferu, the first pharaoh of Egypt’s 4th dynasty, and a nearby pyramid would be reopened to citizens as well as tourists for the first time since 1965.
He further said a team of archaeologists had uncovered sarcophagi and the leftovers of an ancient wall dating back to the Middle Kingdom some 4,000 years ago.
The report indicates that the search was made during excavation work in the royal necropolis of Dahshur along the west bank of the Nile River, in an area home to some of Egypt’s oldest pyramids.
In a statement released by the antiquities which reads, “Several stone, wooden and clay sarcophagi were discovered and some contain mummies in good condition.”
The ancient wall stretches some 60 meters and is located south of the pyramid of 12th dynasty pharaoh King Amenemhat II, also in the Dahshur necropolis.
The search also included funerary masks in its discovery as well as tools dating back to the Late Period – which spanned almost 300 years up to Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in 332 BC – used for cutting stones, the ministry further said.
In the past few years, Egypt has been seeking to promote archaeological discoveries across the country in an attempt to rejuvenate tourism, which took a hit from the turmoil that followed its 2011 uprising.