33 family tombs dating back to the Graeco-Roman period were recently discovered in Aswan.

An Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission uncovered 33 previously unknown Graeco-Roman family tombs near the Aga Khan Mausoleum at Aswan’s west bank earlier this month. The discovery provides insight into the diseases that affected the people living in that era.

The cemetery contains over 400 tombs dating back to the sixth century BC to the third century AD, spanning across more than 10 levels of terraces.

The tombs have unique architectural designs. Some have vaulted entrances preceded by an open courtyard surrounded by mudbrick walls, while others are directly carved into the mountain rock.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), called it a significant discovery that adds a new historical dimension to the Aga Khan area. Some of the tombs contain parts of mummies and remnants of funerary tools, providing valuable insights into that period and the prevalent diseases.

The remains found in the tombs include an adult, likely a woman, and a child aged between one to two years, placed one over the other in a stone coffin. Further analysis will be conducted to understand the relationship between the two bodies. Additionally, many mummified remnants were found, along with fragmentary painted terracotta figurines, stone and wooden coffins, offering tables, and painted cartonnages.