Egypt has showcased a trove of ancient artefacts dating back 2 500 years, recently discovered at the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo.
The artifacts were shown at an exhibition at the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24km southwest of Cairo, according to Associated Press.
Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, said the discovery included 250 painted sarcophagi with well-preserved mummies inside, as well as 150 bronze statues of ancient deities and bronze vessels used in rituals for Isis, the goddess of fertility in ancient Egyptian mythology, all dating back to around 500 BC.
A headless bronze statue of Imhotep, the Chief Architect of Pharaoh Djoser who ruled between 2630 BC and 2611 BC, was also on display.
The artefacts are to be transferred to a more permanent exhibition site at the new Grand Egyptian Museum, a project still under construction near the Giza Pyramids, just outside Cairo.
