2,000-Year-Old Black Granite Sarcophagus Unearthed at Egyptian Dig Site
Everyone loves a good story, and most seem to like a mystery. There’s something about unsolved cases that makes us itch until they’re solved.
That’s probably why there are books like Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys drawing on the curiosity of boys and girls from a young age.
But it goes beyond that. We like discovering. We like hypothesizing.
If you liked dinosaurs when you were little, chances are you probably wanted to become an archaeologist at some point — because it’s mystery and discovery, and it’s wonderful.
A new case for the quizzical has just recently raised its alabaster head, but it hails from Alexandria, Egypt.
While construction was getting started for a new building in the booming city of Alexandria, historical artifacts were uncovered, including an alabaster head and a black sarcophagus.
This probably threw a wrench in the works for whatever developer was planning on using that plot: whenever anything historical is found, progress is delayed as officials peer into the past and try to figure out what the site was used for and how much of it should be protected.
This one’s purpose is pretty straightforward: it’s a tomb. But the sarcophagus has experts excited for two main reasons.
First, the sarcophagus is made of black granite, which is rare.
Second, this sarcophagus is quite large — the largest ever found in Alexandria. It measures roughly six feet tall, five feet wide, and nine feet long.
The tomb dates back to between 305 and 30 BC. The seal on the coffin is still in very good shape, which suggests that whatever’s inside has been preserved and undisturbed for over 2000 years.
A large alabaster head, found nearby, is speculated to be a likeness of whoever’s buried there — but who could it be? Could it be… Alexander?
At the approximate time of the burial, Alexandria was the capitol of Egypt. That and the unusual characteristics of the sarcophagus indicate that its inhabitant could have been someone of great importance.
The plan, so far, is to take x-rays and CT scans so as to leave the contents intact and unharmed. We should have some answers soon!
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