Egypt, the mystery of the sarcophagus that archaeologists are preparing to open

The thick layer of mortar The rest of the sarcophagus indicates that its contents have been resting for over 2 thousand years since the burial. The discovery was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and archaeologists are in turmoil: there is every reason to believe that the tomb could have been built to house the remains of a high dignitary of the Ptolemaic era, a period of Egyptian history that begins after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and pbades to Cleopatra and the Roman conquest in 30 a. C.

An alabaster head was found in the grave, which could represent the deceased kept in the sarcophagus. The experts hope to find other objects inside, useful to identify the "owner" and the role that he played.

Operations can not start immediately. The dimensions of the sarcophagus, the largest of this type ever found in Alexandria, require prior interventions. It will not be possible to move it to a museum, so it must be open on the site. In the coming weeks, a group of engineers will provide, after visiting the discovery area, the equipment needed to lift the lid, which alone weighs 15 tons. And when the coffin is open, the experts in embalming and restoration will soon be given space: they will have to make sure that the remains, exposed to the air after millennia, are saved.