Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

In the Al-Buheira province of northern Egypt, archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Roman cemetery, as well as workshops dating back to the Late Period (664–332 BC) and the Ptolemaic era (323–30 BC),Azernews reports.

According to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities shared on social media, "A joint Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission, including representatives from the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the University of Padua (Italy), discovered several workshops from the late and early Ptolemaic periods, along with part of a Roman cemetery featuring diverse funeral practices."

The workshops, located at the Kom el-Ahmar and Kom Wasit sites, consist of a large building divided into six rooms. Two of these rooms were used for fish processing, where archaeologists discovered nearly 9,700 fish bones. Other rooms contained faience amulets, amphorae, and Greek ceramics, suggesting that these workshops were multifunctional and may have played a significant role in local trade and daily life.

The Roman cemetery revealed a fascinating variety of burial practices, including direct burials in the ground, interments in ceramic coffins, and the burial of children in large amphorae. A total of 23 graves were uncovered, offering unique insights into the funerary customs and cultural diversity of the region during Roman times.
Interestingly, the discovery of both workshops and the cemetery at the same site suggests that this area was not only a center for craft production but also an important community space, linking daily life with ritual and afterlife practices.