Mysterious giant sarcophagus discovered in Egypt

The giant black granite sarcophagus discovered in Alexandria, Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

A mysterious ancient black granite sarcophagus has been discovered in Egypt.

The tomb, which dates back to the Ptolemaic period between 305 B.C. and 30 B.C., was uncovered in the city of Alexandria.

In a Facebook post, Dr. Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced that the 6-foot high sarcophagus, which is 8.7-feet long and 5.4-feet wide, is the largest ever found in Alexandria. 

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The sarcophagus was found buried 16.4 feet below the surface. A layer of mortar between the lid and the body of the sarcophagus indicates that it has not been opened since it was closed more than 2,000 years ago.

The carved alabaster head discovered at the site. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

A carved alabaster head, which probably depicts the tomb’s owner, was also found.

Ancient Egypt continues to reveal its secrets. Archaeologists recently unearthed a 2,200-year-old gold coin depicting the ancient King Ptolemy III, an ancestor of the famed Cleopatra.

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Experts in Southern Egypt recently discovered an extremely rare marble head depicting the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

The sarcophagus lid and body have been sealed with mortar, which may indicate that it has not been opened since it was closed more than 2,000 years ago. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

Additionally, experts in Australia found the tattered remains of an ancient priestess in a 2,500-year-old Egyptian coffin that was long thought to be empty.

On the other side of the world, a rare ancient artifact depicting the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut surfaced in the U.K. Stunning new research also claims that King Tutankhamun may have been a boy soldier, challenging the theory he was a weak and sickly youth before his mysterious death at around 18 years of age.

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Experts in the U.K. also found the world’s oldest figurative tattoos on two ancient Egyptian mummies recently, one of which is the oldest tattooed female ever discovered.

The carved alabaster head probably depicts the tomb’s owner (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

Other recent finds include an ancient cemetery in Egypt with more than 40 mummies and a necklace containing a "message from the afterlife." An ancient statue of a Nubian king with an inscription written in Egyptian hieroglyphics was also found at a Nile River temple in Sudan.

Scientists also believe that they may have found the secret of the Great Pyramid’s near-perfect alignment. Experts are also confident that they have solved the long-standing mystery of the "screaming mummy."

In February, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids. Late last year, archaeologists also revealed that they had uncovered the graves of four children at an ancient site in Egypt.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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