A trove of ancient artifacts from Egypt’s last dynasty has been discovered in 63 tombs in the Nile Delta. Experts are now working to restore and classify the finds, according to an official from the country’s antiquities authority on Aug. 12. The artifacts include gold pieces and jewelry dating back to Egypt’s Late and Ptolemaic periods, with some items potentially slated for display in one of the country’s museums, said Neveine el-Arif, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
An Egyptian archaeological mission under the Supreme Council of Antiquities uncovered the mud-brick tombs at the Tell al-Deir necropolis in Damietta city, located in the Damietta governorate, the ministry announced in a statement last month.
Other items found in the tombs include statues, funerary amulets, and a pottery vessel containing 38 bronze coins from the Ptolemaic period.
The Ptolemaic dynasty was Egypt’s last before it became part of the Roman Empire. It was founded in 305 B.C. after Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered Egypt in 332 B.C., with one of his generals, Ptolemy, becoming Ptolemy I. Leadership passed down through Ptolemy’s descendants, culminating with Cleopatra.
Egypt first exhibited artifacts from the Ptolemaic period at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in 2018, showcasing around 300 artifacts.
