'Strange' tomb of falcons discovered in ancient Egyptian seaport
An archaeological research team unveiled what they called a strange discovery of a tomb containing 15 mummified falcons decapitated and buried inside a temple.
CAIRO — A joint research team from the Spanish University of Barcelona, the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archaeology and the American University of Delaware have recently discovered a "Falcon Shrine" in the ancient Egyptian seaport of Berenike on the western shore of the Red Sea.
According to the results of a study published in the American Journal of Archaeology on Oct. 6, the research team found during excavations in the port a tomb dating back to the late Roman period — the fourth to sixth centuries AD — a period when the city seemed to be partially occupied and controlled by the Blemmyes.
The Blemmyes were a group of nomads from the Nubian area who were during that period expanding their ranges throughout the greater part of the eastern desert of Egypt.
The archaeological team described the tomb as a small traditional Egyptian crypt, adapted by the Blemmyes to their own belief system.
