Hawass Presents 10000 Mummies

Dateline 08/14/99

At the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Undersecretary of the State for the Giza Monuments and adjunct professor at UCLA, discussed the discovery of up to 10,000 Roman mummies buried in the Bahariyya Oasis of Egypt 2000 years ago. The mummies, undisturbed by grave robbers, are unusually well-preserved, many covered with a layer of gold. Attesting to the influence of Rome, many hold the coin used to pay the ferryman to take the dead to the Underworld. On one coin is the head of Cleopatra.

Three years ago an antiquities guard quite literally accidentally stumbled upon the site. The donkey he was riding fell into a hole which turned out to be in the ceiling of a buried tomb.

In March of 1999, Dr. Hawass led a team of archaeologists, architects, restorators, conservators, and engineers on the largest Egyptian expedition ever. In the first four tombs, each of which consisted of an entrance, delivery room and two burial chambers, they found 105 mummies wrapped in a variety of materials, from linen (for ordinary workers) to gold (for the wealthy and powerful), with many artifacts including pottery depicting the dwarf god of pleasure, Bes, jewelry, and statues.

From about 330 B.C. to A.D. 400 a milder climate and underground aquifers permitted large scale production of dates and grain in the Bahariyya Oasis, more than 200 miles from the Giza Plateau. The grain was in demand for a popular wine and the grain was exported to Rome. Near the graveyard is a palace and near that are the walls of a winery presumed responsible for the wealth of the area.

Previously a temple of Alexander the Great had been found in the area. That together with at least one of the tombs will be opened to the public in November. With respect for the dead, most of the bodies will not be put on display.

The Discovery of the Valley of the Mummies
Dr. Zahi Hawass' account of the discovery of the mummies at the Bahariyya Oasis site.