Swedish archaeologists discover 12 ancient Egyptian cemeteries near Aswan

An Egyptian pharaonic scarab is pictured at the site of one of dozen newly discovered ancient Egyptian cemeteries dating back to the New Kingdom era at Gabal al-Silsila or Chain of Mountains area near Aswan

Swedish archaeologists have unearthed a dozen burial sites near the southern city of Aswan that date back almost 3,500 years to the New Kingdom era of ancient Egypt, the Antiquities Ministry said on Wednesday.


Human and animal remains were found in the cemeteries, which were discovered in the Gabal al-Silsila or Chain of Mountains area 65km north of Aswan and would have been used during the reigns of pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II.

It is hoped the burial sites will help historians better understand ancient Egyptian healthcare and give a boost to Egypt’s struggling tourism industry, which has been beset by political upheaval and militant attacks since the unseating of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.