Archaeologists open granite tomb but are dismayed at state of decay after ‘sewage leak’

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Egyptian archeologists have opened a 30-tonne black granite sarcophagus to find three decomposed mummies after sewage water apparently leaked inside.

“The sarcophagus has been opened, but we have not been hit by a curse,” said Mostafa Waziry, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Antiquities, in response to news reports warning of maledictions hidden inside the tomb in the port city of Alexandria.

Waziry, accompanied by a team of specialists in mummification and restoration, instead found three mummies and a red liquid he identified as sewage water, believed to have entered the sarcophagus through a crack on its right side, causing the decomposition of the mummies.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Tomb after the lid was removed. Photograph: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters

The tomb was found buried five metres beneath the surface and the help of Egyptian military engineers was required to open the 15-tonne lid. After capturing the world’s attention because of its unusually large size, observers believed it could contain the remains of a prominent figure, with some considering the possibility that it could contain the corpse of Alexander the Great.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The alabaster head. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

The sarcophagus, almost three metres across and two metres high, is believed to date from the early Ptolemaic period, which began following the death of Alexander in 323BC.

It was found during construction work in Egypt’s northernmost city, accompanied by a weathered alabaster head thought to depict one of the occupants of the tomb. Archeologists were excited because a layer of mortar beneath the lid suggested it had remained untouched since it was buried thousands of years ago.

The skulls of the three mummies found inside will now be analysed in order to identify their ages and cause of death.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Skulls of the three decomposed mummies. Photograph: EPA

Shaaban Abdel Amonem, one of the specialists in mummification who attended the opening, said initial assessments showed the trio were probably soldiers, with one of the skulls displaying evidence of arrow blows.

Waziri said the lack of death masks in precious metals, amulets, statuettes or inscriptions on the sarcophagus meant the bodies were unlikely to be those of Ptolemaic or Roman royals.

Video footage from the news website Youm7 showed a man pouring the red liquid into the street, after samples were taken to be analysed.