Egypt Uncovers 2,000-Year-Old Lost City with Sealed Sarcophagus and Gold Artifacts

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced a major archaeological discovery at the Marina El-Alamein site, about 100 kilometers west of Alexandria. Archaeologists uncovered 18 tombs from the Greco-Roman period, including a sealed granite sarcophagus approximately 2.5 meters long, believed to have remained unopened for around two millennia. The excavation, led by archaeologist Aman Abd El-Khalik, revealed 11 rock-cut tombs at an average depth of eight meters and seven above-ground limestone tombs, some still sealed with original stone slabs, indicating they had not been looted since antiquity.

Inside one tomb, the sealed sarcophagus contained human remains currently undergoing scientific examination. Nearby, a plaster sphinx statue was found, reflecting rich artistic and ritual elements. Among the notable finds were 24 small gold items placed in the mouths of the deceased, a practice known as the "golden tongue," common in the Greco-Roman era to enable the dead to speak in the afterlife. Additional discoveries included intact pottery, amphorae, oil lamps, plates, altars, limestone basins, and architectural remains of the burial structures.

This discovery raises the total known tombs at the site to 44 since its initial identification in 1986 during construction work. Researchers believe the site corresponds to the ancient port city of Leucaspis, which flourished from the Hellenistic through the Byzantine periods. Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, emphasized that these findings reinforce Marina El-Alamein's role as a cultural crossroads between Egypt and the Mediterranean world.

Simultaneously, another significant find was reported in the Western Desert's Dakhla Oasis, where a well-preserved Byzantine settlement yielded about 200 pottery shards inscribed in Coptic and Greek, along with bronze and gold coins from Emperor Constantius II's era.