My black sarcophagus conspiracy theory.

1.A terrible smell forced everyone to evacuate the premises as soon as the tomb was cracked. For how long? Who had access? Was anyone watching the tomb?

”According to Egyptian news outlet El-Watan, they initially lifted the lid of the tomb by just 5cm (2 inches) before the pungent smell forced them from the inspection scene entirely. They later prised it open with help from Egyptian military engineers.”

Sewage evaporates just like anything else. This is only possible with a very recent sewage leak. Was there sewage in the rest of the tomb? Why didn’t they smell it before?

2. Alabaster bust found with sarcophagus, “weathered beyond recognition.”

Weathered? It looks like someone tried to erase whoever he was from history by destroying his face. Maybe destroying the whole statue. Why are very few media outlets mentioning this bust?

“Dr. Ayman Ashmawy, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, said the layer of mortar between the lid and the body of the sarcophagus indicated that it had not been opened.”

The bust “.. 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.”

Head found INSIDE the untouched tomb was weathered beyond recognition?

Weathered with a chisel maybe.

3. We have ways of seeing what’s inside these things before we open them.

“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.”

Where are these images?

4. Why were they digging here, of all places? I saw one media outlet say it was, “Originally found while clearing the site for a new building.”

Another said, “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.”

Really. They don’t look like they were in the process of building to me. Why were they digging 16 feet down?

Another said, “(The) Ministry of Antiquities and the Egyptian government have procedures (for) checking any building before it is renewed or repaired," Ali said. "This sarcophagus was found according to regular procedures."

Right, 16 feet down. Repairs. In the middle of the courtyard.

5. Largest sarcophagus ever found. Unusual black granite not found nearby. But we’re supposed to believe this was no one important?

“University of Auckland Egyptology Professor Anthony Spalinger stressed that granite was both expensive and difficult to cut.

"They would have taken it downstream and carved it in the area," he said in a phone interview. "It implies that there was wealth involved."

6. Alexandria was only for Noble burials. Multiple burials were only done for the poor in lower Egypt, and never in stone.

“The tombs of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt had two different styles of construction.

The tombs of Lower Egypt were located at the downstream end of a wadi, (a dry streambed) “which represented the downstream end of the the NileRiver.” These tombs were lined with mud bricks that surrounded the wooden and reed tomb structure. The wood and reed would also be painted. Then a low reed fence would surround the tomb. The tomb would sometimes have three to five mummies, so it was hypothesized these were family members who were buried together. In the case of royal families, these other members may have been of the royal court.

The Upper Egypt styled tombs were located at the upstream end of the wadi. These were tombs cut into subsoil bedrock. An example found in the necropolis, was a tomb that was excavated which “had a long narrow trench with an L-shaped hole cut into the middle of the floor. There was not any superstructure associated with it. Surrounding this stone tomb were animal burials, including hippopotamuses, elephants, crocodiles, baboons, cattle, goats, sheep, and dogs. Some of the animals were mummified and probably had civic-ceremonial significance.” The stone cut tombs, even though they may not have been elaborate and not decorated, are indicative of a higher class status in the Egyptian society.

The descriptions of the stone tombs are similar to Mastabas, “rectangular, flat-topped stone-built structures that covered deep shafts leading to the burial of the tomb owner”. Nobles and courtiers were found buried in Mastabas within the royal cemeteries. Some of these tombs were more expansive in that their tombs would also have additional shafts or tunnels which would lead to other chambers for family members or valuables. Many of these tombs would have a serdab, a small chamber that would house a statue made to resemble the deceased.”

Source: http://myweb.usf.edu/~liottan/tombsofancientegypt.html

7. Further excavation won’t be done.

“Further excavation at the site may prove difficult, however, as the finding was made on a privately-owned construction site.”

Clearly the owner who dug the 16 ft hole would just fill it in and either build his tiny vertical house, or continue his remolding, whichever story is true.

8. Where’s all the other coffins?

“One mummy – many coffins. The Egyptian elite was buried in a coffin placed inside another coffin – in ensembles of up to eight coffins. This was intended to ensure the transformation of the deceased from human to deity, according to Anders Bettum, Egyptologist.”

9. Somewhat unusually, experts said, the three mummies were buried without any belongings.”

Even the poor were buried with household things.

“The poorest people were buried in shallow graves scooped out of the sand with a straw outer covering. These graves were common in predynasty. Many of these bodies were wrapped in linen and found in a fetal position. There would be some grave goods beside the body, but what was left was “a pot or two, a little meat, or perhaps a necklace of shells.”

9. Why didn’t anyone stream the opening live? Where’s the recordings?

There’s even a totally different story floating around the internet, about the great condition of the body. One body. No sewage.

“The archaeologists discovered the well preserved and more importantly dead remains of a mummy rotten down to the bone, without signs of any ancient curse.

The unidentified mummy suffered little decomposition thanks to a sealed layer of mortar between the body and the coffin’s lid.

The Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities will now attempt to identify the remains to crack the mystery of the sarcophagus’ occupant.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/989586/Egypt-mummy-sarcophagus-ancient-tomb-open-Alexandria

Occupant. Not occupants.