Egyptian police discover a pair of Greco-Roman mummies — in a sewer
Police in Minya, Egypt, found a pair of ancient Greco-Roman mummies decaying in the village's sewer — and they suspect foul play.
Wrapped in linen and housed in wooden sarcophagi, the bodies are thought to date from 332 BC to 395 AD. The bodies were badly decayed from the polluted waters, but the "colorful designs" of women on the coffins are still quite apparent, according to Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities.
As for why the mummies were floating in a polluted sewer, authorities can't say for sure — but they have their suspicions. Egypt has a notorious problem with illegal excavations, and the ministry believes treasure hunters dumped the bodies to hide their trail. The sewage-sodden mummies are being restored by experts with the hopes that they'll one day be displayed in a local museum.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
-
ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
