An Egyptian sarcophagus of thousands of years was opened live on television

A Egyptian Sarcophagus 2500 years old was opened on a live television program during a two-hour special show of the American channel Discovery.

The "Unknown Shipping: Egypt Live" broadcast was broadcast on the outskirts of Minya, on the banks of the Nile and south of Cairo. There, archaeologists discovered a network of galleries that lead to several burial chambers that would contain 40 mummies of Egyptian nobles.

After exploring other graves – where they found statues, amulets, jars used to store organs and other mummies – experts were finally able to camera that contained this sarcophagus, very detailed carved.

Several people were needed to open it and the efforts were not in vain: inside, there was an immaculate mummy, wrapped in flax and surrounded by treasures, which included gold

"I can not believe it, it's incredible "said Zahi Hawbad, a famous Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, who led the expedition with American explorer Josh Gates, who led the transmission.

"Like a real funeral"

Gates said that the mummy was a high priest of Thoth, ancient Egyptian god of wisdom and magic, which corresponds to the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt – the last indigenous dynasty to rule until 525 BC C.

"Towards the end of ancient Egypt, power really came down to the high priests and we can see it here … we almost have the impression like a royal burial "said Gates.

Cairo is trying to promote archaeological discoveries in the country with the aim of reviving tourism, hit by political instability after the 2011 revolution against Hosni Mubarak.

"It's a show at the end, but it can generate people's love of antiquities and it's a good opportunity to promote tourism, "he told reporters. AFP an archaeologist who asked for anonymity.

Discovery's transmission also matches the current one global interest in Egyptian archeology, generated by an exhibition on Pharaoh Tutankhamun, who made his debut in Paris last month and will tour the world.