Mysterious giant sarcophagus discovered in Egypt

[Skywizard]

This black granite sarcophagus was found in a tomb in Alexandria, Egypt. Dating back over 2,000 years, it is
the largest sarcophagus ever found in Alexandria, archaeologists believe.

A massive black granite sarcophagus and a sculpture of a man who may be buried inside have been discovered in a tomb in Alexandria, Egypt.

The granite sarcophagus looks foreboding: It's nearly 9 feet long, 5 feet wide and 6 feet tall (2.7 by 1.5 by 1.8 meters). And, it may be the largest sarcophagus ever discovered in Alexandria, said Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, in a statement released by Egypt's antiquities ministry.

A thick layer of mortar covers much of the sarcophagus, suggesting that it has not been opened since it was buried, Waziri said in the statement. As such, the person buried in the sarcophagus, along with any clothing or jewelry they wore and any artifacts they were buried with, may still be intact, waiting to be discovered.

Additionally, an alabaster head of a man, which may depict the person whose remains are buried in the sarcophagus, was also found in the tomb where the sarcophagus was discovered, the statement said.

This alabaster head of a man found near the sarcophagus may depict
the person who was buried there.

A team from Egypt's antiquities ministry was inspecting an area of land in the Sidi Gaber district before construction work on a building began when the members came upon the mysterious coffin.

It dates back to sometime between 304 and 30 B.C., a time after the death of Alexander the Great,when the descendants of Ptolemy I, who was one of Alexander's generals, ruled Egypt. At this time, Alexandria — which Alexander the Great claimed to have founded (although people were living there earlier) — was the capital of Egypt.

The discovery leaves archaeologists with a series of mysteries: Who is buried inside the sarcophagus? What artifacts are hiding inside? And, why is the sarcophagus so large?

The sarcophagus appears not to have been opened since it was
buried, archaeologists say.

Rare opportunity

While ancient tombs are often discovered in Egypt, they have often been looted, whether in ancient or modern times. Most sarcophagi are found already opened, their contents taken away and the bones of the mummies sometimes found scattered by looters.

In this case, the sarcophagus appears not to have been opened yet, giving archaeologists a chance to study its contents and the person inside it.

Archaeologists are being cautious with the sarcophagus. They have not opened it, and they may decide that, to prevent damage, they will use X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans or another scientific test that will allow them to peer inside without opening the sarcophagus.





Source: https://www.livescience.com/63027-mm...s-mystery.html



peace...

[Joe from the Carolinas]

In reading these kinds of reports, which are fascinating, the thought in my head is, "Maybe nobody should be opening that thing"

[Bill Ryan]

VERY interesting. One wonders how large the body may be.

[DeDukshyn]

Six feet "tall"? Odd shape for a "sarcophagus"

I was reading an article on this this morning, where it said that some similar (in construction) granite boxes have been found, but may have been something else before being re-purposed as sarcophagi. Which makes some sense given the odd dimensions.

The original use is not speculated on, but they appear to be much older than the remains of the people they found inside. I am curious if maybe this is one of those, and whether maybe the original contents are what is inside. Very exciting stuff if this turns out to be the case.

Posted by Joe from the Carolinas (here)
In reading these kinds of reports, which are fascinating, the thought in my head is, "Maybe nobody should be opening that thing"

Potentially a good idea, at least until some ultrasound or x-ray (can you x-ray through granite?) can be done to determine the contents.

[Joe from the Carolinas]

Hey Skywizard, thanks for the thread, it looks like a real humdinger.

As this is a discussion forum, the moderation team has had some feedback from folks lately that would like us to encourage those copy & pasting articles from other websites to make it more unique to Avalon, and add their own analysis and opinion.

In light of the feedback from members, we would love to hear your personal opinions, analysis, and/or research on the details you've copied from the article, (other than "peace..." of course ), particularly in light of Bill's post here (please do read the entire post):

Posted by Bill Ryan
Thread-starters are always appreciated here, but they should also always do a little work for themselves: don't just copy stuff like a bot and leave all the work to others.

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by Joe from the Carolinas (here)
Hey Skywizard, thanks for the thread, it looks like a real humdinger.

As this is a discussion forum, the moderation team has had some feedback from folks lately that would like us to encourage those copy & pasting articles from other websites to make it more unique to Avalon, and add their own analysis and opinion.

In light of the feedback from members, we would love to hear your personal opinions, analysis, and/or research on the details you've copied from the article, (other than "peace..." of course ), particularly in light of Bill's post here (please do read the entire post):

Posted by Bill Ryan
Thread-starters are always appreciated here, but they should also always do a little work for themselves: don't just copy stuff like a bot and leave all the work to others.

Considering the vast amount of reading and posting on eclectic topics Skywizard does I'd love to hear his two cents on some of the articles and to know if he sees any connections that might be found between any of the stories. Dot connecting has a lot of value and I's assume Skywizard might be in a position to potentially do some of that.

Anyway, your posts are very informative and overall great SkyWizard, but I agree with Joe, let's hear some of you and your opinion as well!!

[Bill Ryan]

There's quite a buzz about this find in the mainstream media. The good thing about that is that this can't be covered up now.

All kinds of archeologists, with good intentions and controlled by no-one, are going to be wanting to know who and/or what is inside. Apparently, at the moment, they've NOT opening it, but are doing scans of the thing first. If anyone has updates, please do be sure to post them here.

[uzn]

a little more info: But stil unopened so far.

Before a house is built in Alexandria, first the archaeologists arrive. The legendary city has existed since antiquity. Therefore, among the high-rise buildings and streets of today, archaeologists repeatedly came across traces of ancient civilizations. Only a few days ago, they exposed a huge black sarcophagus five meters deep. The archaeologists estimate that he comes from the Ptolemäerreich and thus more than 2000 years old.
With a length of 2.65 meters and a height of 1.85 meters, he is the largest such find in the region at all, said the relevant Department of Antiquities. The sarcophagus is made of black rock.
Mortar still intact
On the sides of the lid, the archaeologists discovered an intact layer of mortar. They therefore believe that the sarcophagus was not reopened after being closed in ancient times. If they were right, that would be a great stroke of luck. For many ancient tombs have been looted centuries ago.

[uzn]

another angle:

[pueblo]

Could it be Alexander the Great in the sarcophagus? No obvious Egyptian markings apparent on the sarcophagus could be a hint that this was not an Egyptian burial?

[amor]

I have a neighbor across the street who may not be nine feet tall but possibly that or more in girth. Therefore, a container five feet wide would not be out of line, especially if his height approached nine feet. Also, long ago, personal items were interred with the dead. They take up some room.

[ichingcarpenter]

Its been opened and here's what was in it

https://gizmodo.com/big-mysterious-s...cks-1827722447

It’s been quite the month for Indiana Jones-inspired madness, after a sealed 2,000-year-old sarcophagus was discovered in Alexandria, Egypt, on July 1. Nobody knew what was inside, but some feared that the black granite coffin might be cursed. Those fears were put to rest on Thursday, when the sarcophagus was finally opened. It was full of human bones and sewage.

More specifically, archaeologists from Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities found three male skeletons in a reddish-brown slop. The ministry believes the men interred there may have been warriors since one of the skulls showed signs of an injury caused by an arrow. The sludge, they think, leaked into the sarcophagus from a nearby sewage trough. There were no immediate signs of a curse, although maybe it was just the smell.

I'm willing to bet the sarcophagus is much older than the bodies and not from that period.

The stone is only found in the Sinai and the Aswan area.

[DeDukshyn]

Mmmm ... soup anyone?

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by ichingcarpenter (here)
... I'm willing to bet the sarcophagus is much older than the bodies and not from that period.

The stone is only found in the Sinai and the Aswan area.

My initial thoughts as well (as posted back there somewhere) ... it's quite possibly a box that has been re-purposed as a sarcophagus. Granite boxes seemed to have some significance we may be unaware of. The one found in the King's chamber in the great pyramid, is also referred to as a "sarcophagus" but no one was found inside, and the dimensions weren't quite right to actually be a proper sarcophagus. I wonder if there is a further connection between all these granite boxes found ...

[Bill Ryan]

An interesting follow-up, in a new Avalon thread posted today:

• Massive Black Sarcophagus Contained 3 Inscriptions