GIZA, Egypt (Reuters) - Sinking
water levels have revealed a granite sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian
god Osiris in a 30-meter (98 feet) deep tomb at the Giza pyramids, Egyptian
archaeologist Zahi Hawass said Wednesday.
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- Osiris was one of the most important gods of ancient
Egypt who according to mythology was murdered by his wicked brother Seth.
He was buried by Isis, his sister-wife, and brought back to life as judge
of the dead and ruler of the underworld.
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- Hawass said the sarcophagus, which he dated to 500 BC
in the New Kingdom, was surrounded by the remains of four pillars built
in the shape of a hieroglyphic 'Bir' or 'House of Osiris'.
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- The excavation unearthed 3,000-year-old bones and pottery
found in the underground water, he said.
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- "I never excavated this shaft because it was always
full of water. But when the water went down about a year ago, we started
the adventure,'' he told Reuters.
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- After dirt and most of the remaining water were cleared
from the shaft, located between the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Chefren (Khafre),
archaeologists found three underground levels, with the submerged Osiris
sarcophagus at the lowest.
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- Many people believed there were tunnels going to the
Sphinx and another leading to the Great Pyramid but only when we sent a
young boy into a tunnel in the west wall (of the tomb shaft) did we find
this exciting discovery,'' said Hawass.
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