Archaeologists Discover Nearly 2,000-Year-Old Tombs in Egypt with Unopened Granite Sarcophagus

A standout find is a granite sarcophagus approximately two and a half meters in length, whose lid was still intact. This indicates that the sarcophagus had remained unopened for nearly 2,000 years. Most recently, 18 Greco-Roman burial sites had already been uncovered during the ongoing excavations.

The Granite Sarcophagus and Its Intact Lid

Among the most significant finds were 24 gold objects that had been placed in the mouths of several deceased individuals. According to the ministry, this represents a burial ritual associated with beliefs about the afterlife. The finds offer a direct insight into the religious practices of the population at the time.

In addition to human remains, the researchers recovered ceramics, amphorae, and other grave goods. At the excavation site, approximately 200 pottery shards, known as ostraca, with inscriptions in Coptic and Greek were also found, along with bronze and gold coins. According to the ministry, some of the coins date from the reign of the Roman emperor Constantius II (337–361).

Golden Offerings and Ostraca with Inscriptions

The ministry also announced on Friday that the beginnings of the settlement dated back to the 4th century. The authorities thus place the find complex in a phase marked by the transition from late antiquity to the Byzantine era. Archaeologists regard the finds as building blocks for the history of ancient Mediterranean trade.

Marina al-Alamein is located about a hundred kilometers west of Alexandria. According to widespread scholarly opinion, the site is considered the ancient port city of Leucaspis, which flourished between the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods. The new find thus joins a series of discoveries that are gradually completing the picture of the ancient port city.

Background: Marina al-Alamein and Leucaspis

The excavations are embedded in a broad archaeological initiative by the Egyptian state, which has repeatedly brought spectacular finds to light in recent years. The authorities also hope this will provide impetus for the tourism sector, which is one of the country's economic pillars.

Experts emphasize that the unopened burial chambers offer the opportunity to examine materials and inscriptions in a condition that has not been altered by later intrusions. Such finds are considered rare in archaeology and correspondingly informative.

The evaluation of the finds, including the processing of the ostraca and the conservation of the gold objects, will take some time, the ministry said. Further excavations and announcements are to be expected.

Note: This text is an update to an already published article. The report was broadcast on July 5, 2026, including on Deutschlandfunk. The research is based primarily on communications from the Egyptian ministry and on reports from the cited media.