Roman tombs unearthed in southwest Egypt

Kharga (Egypt) Aug 23 (IANS/AKI) Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered five Roman tombs and artefacts including pottery and a funerary mask in the desert in southwest Egypt the Ministry of Antiquities said.

The finds were made at the Beir al-Shaghala site located to the west of Mout city some three km from Dakhla Oasis in Egypt s Western Desert.

The tombs are built in mud brick and the first has a rectangular entrance leading to a burial chamber according to Ayma Ashmawi head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department.

The second tomb has as domed ceiling and its entrance also leads to a burial chamber Ashmawi said.

Only the upper part of the third tomb had been excavated and it has a pyramid shape he noted.

The fourth and fifth tombs share the same entrance area and each tomb has a separate burial chamber with a vaulted ceiling Ashmawi explained.

Artefacts found inside the tombs included parts of a mask of a human face made of gypsum and coloured yellow a set of pottery vessels of different shapes and sizes and two plates including one with hieroglyphics writings and a second one written in the cursive Hieratic script used by scribes.

A clay incense burner and a small part of the base of a 14 cm x 12.5 cm sandstone statue in the form of sphinx were also discovered inside the tombs Director General of antiquities for Middle Egypt Gamal al-Semestawi said.

The archaeological team previously unearthed eight other tombs dating back to the Roman era that were well preserved and with a similar architectural design according mission chief Magdi Ibrahim.

--IANS/AKI
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