Egyptian mummy floating in canal

Two ancient mummies were discovered floating in sewage in a village in eastern Egypt.

Illegal excavators may hide mummies underwater to avoid government restrictions. Photo illustration: Wikimedia Commons

Police discovered two mummies in a village near the city of Minya, about 240km south of Cairo, wrapped in layers of linen in wooden coffins that were in an advanced state of decomposition, according to the BBC. They also found a third coffin, but it was empty.

"The coffins have many colorful decorations, but they lack ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions," the Ministry of Antiquities said. According to scientists, the two mummies date back to the Greco-Roman era (332 BC - AD 395).

The cause of the mummies floating in polluted water is not yet clear. Yusuf Khalifa, an official at the Ministry of Antiquities, believes that illegal excavations have taken place and that this is a way to cover up the traces. In Egypt, regulations on archaeology are very strict. Last October, seven people were arrested for illegally digging in an ancient temple area.

Experts will restore the remaining parts of the mummy and display them at Minya's Hermopolis Museum.

According to VnExpress