Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and AntiquitiesSeveral sets of mummified remains found in tombs at the ancient Egyptian necropolis near Aswan.
In 2019, researchers came across a massive ancient burial site in Egypt, which they soon dubbed the “City of the Dead.” Over the past five years, archaeologists have continued excavating at the site, announcing in June 2024 that they discovered at least 33 more tombs, each containing the remains of 30 to 40 people.
The tombs were discovered by a joint team of Italian and Egyptian archaeologists working at the burial site, which spans an enormous 270,000 square feet. The site was reused over the course of 900 years, now housing the remains of countless people, including some families who likely died from infectious diseases. These discoveries are now shedding light on the history of the ancient city of Aswan.
Hundreds Of Tombs Discovered At Aswan’s “City Of The Dead”
Roughly 4,500 years ago, the city of Aswan stood as a major center of economic and military power. However, over the years, much of the city’s history — particularly information about the lives of its citizens — has been lost. But when researchers found this “City of the Dead” in 2019, it offered hope that some of this lost history could be rediscovered.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and AntiquitiesA carved-out terrace of tombs at Aswan.
What they found was a massive burial site containing hundreds of tombs, with human remains left there over the course of 900 years. The tombs were stacked in terraces on a hill near the mausoleum of Aga Khan III.
“This was a really spectacular find, very unique in Egypt,” archaeologist Patrizia Pieacenti, the mission’s Italian director, told The Daily Mail. “[The people who once lived in Aswan] covered the hill with tombs. It is kind of a City of the Dead.”
The first tomb uncovered at the site contained four mummies, two of which were children. Nearby, researchers found remains that likely belonged to their mother and father. That find prompted further investigation, leading to the discovery of hundreds more tombs.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and AntiquitiesThe interior of one of the tombs found at the Aswan site.
Since then, archaeologists have gleaned revealing information about the burials. The dead were buried at the site according to their class, with elites buried closer to the top of the hill and the middle class below them. Meanwhile, in a press release posted to Facebook, Ayman Ashmawy, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, stated that studies conducted on the remains suggest that roughly 30 to 40 percent of those buried at the site were young adults or infants.
As part of the ongoing research at the site, archaeologists recently discovered 36 more tombs dating from the sixth century B.C.E. to the ninth century C.E.
Among the newly discovered remains were those of a woman and a child whose bodies were attached to each other inside a stone coffin. Alongside more remains, researchers also found colorful cartonnage remains, clay and stone figurines, wooden coffins, and offering tables.
While many likely died of things like infectious diseases, a number of the remains showed signs of skeletal disorders, evidenced by signs of amputations in some adult women’s pelvises. Likewise, there were indications of anemia, malnutrition, respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, and osteoporosis in some mummies.
Researchers said they will continue to study the site, hopefully learning more about the ancient city of Aswan and its people in the process.
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Aswan: An Ancient Hub Of Economic And Military Power
Aswan is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and served as a home to numerous groups of people throughout its history, including the ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and subtropical Africans. Initially known as Swenett, the city was a major supplier of granite for ancient monuments and served as a military post for the Romans, the Turks, and the British.
“Aswan was a crossing point since forever,” Piacentini said. “People were coming from the east to the west. People came here because it was the border, products from the south arrived in Aswan and then dispersed everywhere else.”
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and AntiquitiesA cartonnage funerary mask found at the site.
Given Aswan’s location along the east bank of the Nile, it was an important strategic gateway for ancient Egypt, serving as a border town and marking Egypt’s southern frontier. The city facilitated trade between Egypt and Nubia (modern-day Sudan), including gold, ivory, incense, and exotic animals. And since such a wide array of people inhabited the city, it was also an early example of a “melting pot,” blending together Egyptian, Nubian, and Arab cultures.
In honor of the city’s rich cultural legacy and its people, researchers noted that they would only store the best preserved mummies in a museum-owned warehouse. For the others, Piacentini said they would clean the tomb, and then lay the rest of the remains back inside.
“This is their resting place,” she said. “We uncover their story and then we put them back and close the tomb. For me, it was important from the beginning.”
After reading about the discoveries at Aswan, discover nine of history’s most terrifying mummies and the stories behind them. Then, learn all about how the Pyramids were built.