CAIRO — The archaeological mission working in the Kom al-Khalijan area in the northern Egyptian governorate of Dakahlia announced the discovery of 110 tombs dating back to three different civilizations April 27. They include the Lower Egypt civilization known as Bhutto I and II, the Naqada III civilization and a transition era known as the Hyksos period.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa Waziri was cited on the website of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities calling the discovery an important historical and archaeological event. He explained, “There are 68 tombs dating back to the Lower Egypt civilization, five tombs from the Naqada III era and 37 tombs from the Hyksos era. Excavations are ongoing to reveal more of this region’s secrets.”

Ayman Ashmawi, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the ministry’s statement of the Lower Egypt find, “These tombs are oval-shaped pits, and people seem to have been buried inside in a fetal position. Most of them were lying on their left side, with their heads facing west. The remains of a baby were found in a jar from the Bhuto II period with a small spherical pottery vessel.”

Ashmawi added, “The five tombs dating back to the Naqada III period are also oval-shaped pits and include two tombs whose sides, bottom and roof were covered with a layer of mud. Inside the pits, the mission found a set of funerary furniture distinctive of this period, including cylindrical and pear-shaped vessels, in addition to stone or clay vessels, all of which were decorated with drawings and geometric shapes and a small mass of flint that was used for kohl bowls.”