What was in the 30 ton black sarcophagus?

It contained three decomposed mummies and rust-colored sewage, according to Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities. A team of archeologists hired by the Ministry opened the relic.

What was found in the black sarcophagus?

Black sarcophagus revealed

The black granite sarcophagus, which is 9 feet long, 5 feet wide and 6 feet tall (2.7 by 1.5 by 1.8 meters), became a media sensation after its discovery in Alexandria in early July. When the container was opened, three skeletons and a bunch of sewage were discovered inside the sarcophagus.

What was the liquid in the black sarcophagus?

Authorities also revealed the liquid was neither “juice for mummies that contains an elixir of life” nor “red mercury” but something far more pedestrian — sewage water.

What was included inside the sarcophagus?

Sarcophagi also typically included a list of food offerings, a door for the soul to pass through, and eyes so that the decedent could continue to view the world. Eventually, sarcophagi were carved to look like the person within, following the curve of the mummy's body. Sarcophagi might hold more than one coffin.

What was in the mysterious sarcophagus found in Alexandria?

Three skeletons and liquid sewage were found inside the black sarcophagus from Alexandria, Egypt. (Image credit: Courtesy Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities. ) After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., a line of pharaohs descended from one of Alexander's generals ruled Egypt for centuries.

30 Ton Black Sarcophagus Discovered in Alexandria, Egypt - Ancient Egyptian Mummy

What was found in the Egyptian sarcophagus recently?

Egypt unveils tombs and a sarcophagus in a new excavation

An Egyptian antiquities worker watches a recently discovered artifact at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

Were tunnels found under Alexandria?

Archeologists described the tunnel a "geometric miracle," according to a news release from the ministry. It stretches over 4,300 feet and is carved in a rock 42 feet below the ground in the area of the Temple of Tapozeris Magna, which is located west of the city of Alexandria, the ministry said.

What is the red liquid in the sarcophagus?

Red fluid and sewage water festered in the 2000-year-old sarcophagus and caused a social media sensation. The ministry says the liquids likely accelerated the rate of decomposition and that it is now being studied in greater detail.

What are 2 things that have been found in tombs buried with the mummy?

The ancient Egyptian tomb was supplied with items the deceased would need in the afterlife: food, household goods, and the body itself.

How radioactive is it inside the sarcophagus?

In 1996 it was considered impossible to repair the sarcophagus as radiation levels within it were as high as 10,000 röntgens per hour (background radiation in cities is around 20-50 microröntgens per hour, a lethal dose being 500 röntgens over 5 hours).

What is the curse of opening sarcophagus?

A study showed that of the 58 people who were present when the tomb and sarcophagus were opened, only eight died within a dozen years. All the others were still alive, including Howard Carter, who died of lymphoma in 1939 at the age of 64.

Why are there holes in sarcophagus?

Why are there holes in the sarcophagus? The holes serve the very practical purpose of making the very heavy lid easier to maneuver. Ropes or poles would be inserted into these holes in the solid granite lid making handles so that the sarcophagus could be closed after its owner died.

Why did the body found inside the sarcophagus appear burnt?

The combination of oxygen, embalming oils and linen in the sarcophagus essentially caused the mummy to spontaneously combust.

What is a sarcophagus what was typically put inside a sarcophagus?

A sarcophagus (meaning “flesh-eater” in Greek) is a coffin for inhumation burials, widely used throughout the Roman empire starting in the second century A.D. The most luxurious were of marble, but they were also made of other stones, lead (65.148), and wood.

What is the mysterious substance in Egypt?

Scientists now think Egypt's Hypatia stone could be evidence of one of these supernovas that happened billions of years ago. It was discovered in the Egyptian desert in 1996. A new study of its chemical makeup suggests it could have formed from bits of dust and gas surrounding a supernova.

What was the most famous item in the tomb?

1. Death mask. Tutankhamun's death mask is probably the most famous artifact found in his tomb.

What drugs were in Egyptian mummies?

In 1992, German toxicologist Svetlana Balabanova discovered traces of cocaine, hashish and nicotine on Henut Taui's hair as well as on the hair of several other mummies of the museum, which is significant in that the only source for cocaine and nicotine had at that time been considered to be the coca and tobacco plants ...

Why do mummies have gold tongues?

It appears that at some point during the embalming process, the tongues were removed and replaced with pieces of gold foil shaped to resemble a human tongue. It is believed that this practice was carried out to help the dead speak before the court of Osiris—the Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead.

Why were Egyptians buried with gold?

The pharaohs of Egypt insisted on being buried in gold, which they believed was the "flesh of the gods." Consider the tomb of Tutankhamun. The boy-king was enshrined in three gold coffins. The third and final coffin was made of 243 pounds (110 kilograms) of solid gold [source: Bonewitz].

What is the difference between a tomb and a sarcophagus?

Many tombs in Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece included a sarcophagus. Today, a sarcophagus is an above-ground tomb, usually composed of granite or marble, sometimes decorated with bronze or stained glass. A sarcophagus only contains one set of remains.

Why did they use multiple layers for the sarcophagus?

"The numerous layers of coffins around the mummy functioned as repeated images of the deceased, but also as protective capsules, similar to the larvae's pupa before its transformation to a butterfly.

Are there bodies in sarcophagus?

Rather than a sarcophagus being located somewhere on a body, a body may be found in a sarcophagus, a final resting place with a rather eerie origin to its name. The Greeks formed the word sarcophagus to describe the natural material they used to pack up for burial — or inter — dead bodies.

What is left of ancient Alexandria?

The modern city, built on the rubble of the city of Alexander the Great and his successors the Ptolemies, still displays excavated remains and the sea near the coast still conceals a considerable amount of architectural elements, statues which sometimes are colossal, great blocks of stones, marble or granite, all ...

What city was under water in Alexandria Egypt?

Heracleion, also known as Thonis, was an ancient Egyptian city near Alexandria. Its ruins located in Abu Qir Bay, currently 2.5 km off the coast, under 10 m (30 ft) of water. Its legendary beginnings goes back to the 12th century BC.

Could mystery tunnel found under ancient temple lead to Cleopatra's lost tomb?

Tunnel discovered beneath Egyptian temple may lead to Cleopatra's tomb, archaeologist says. Kathleen Martinez, an archaeologist at the University of Santo Domingo, has been searching for the lost tomb of Cleopatra for nearly 20 years. Now she believes she's made a pivotal breakthrough.