Layers of history: Egypt unearths 6,000-year cemetery spanning Predynastic to Ptolemaic eras

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a 6,000-year-old cemetery at the Kom El-Khalgan site in Dakahlia Governorate, with tombs spanning from the Predynastic period (Buto I and Buto II, early 4th millennium BCE) through the Ptolemaic era. The oldest graves are simple oval pits with handmade pottery and seashells, while later tombs from the Second Intermediate Period to the New Kingdom include mastabas and cornice tombs containing jewelry, scarabs, bronze tools, and Tell el-Yahudiyeh juglets. A Ptolemaic child burial in reused amphorae was also found, along with residential remains and sinusoidal walls.

Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed an ancient cemetery at the Kom El-Khalgan site in Dakahlia Governorate, with finds spanning approximately 6,000 years from the Predynastic period to the Ptolemaic era, the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced. The oldest finds date to the Lower Egyptian prehistoric cultures Buto I and Buto II, in the first half of the fourth millennium BCE. These tombs are simple oval pits carved into sand, containing remains in varied funerary positions with small handmade pottery vessels and seashells, indicating a heavily populated area despite simple burial goods. A second group of tombs dates from the Second Intermediate Period (circa 1782–1550 BCE) to the New Kingdom. These include mastabas and tombs with cornices, with diverse burial positions and furnishings such as jewelry, amulets, scarabs, bronze tools and weapons, pottery, and Tell el-Yahudiyeh juglets. The finds confirm settlement during the Hyksos' 15th Dynasty due to proximity to Avaris, the capital at the time. A mudbrick tomb from the early Eighteenth Dynasty was also found. From the Ptolemaic period, simple burial pits were uncovered, including a child buried inside two reused amphorae. Archaeologists also found remains of a residential area from the Second Intermediate Period with mudbrick buildings, grain silos, ovens, and hearths, along with sinusoidal (wavy) walls typical of Egyptian architecture between the Middle and New Kingdoms. Other artifacts include pottery, stone tools, and large quantities of fish, bird, and animal bones. Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy praised the find, and Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted the insights into ancient settlement patterns and funerary practices. Excavations are ongoing.