Long before the pharaohs: archaeologists have found in Egypt traces of a mysterious civilization that existed before the construction of the pyramids

The archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt during excavations in the area of Koam El-Hiljan, in the province of Dahalia, discovered 83 burials dating back to the first half of the fourth millennium BC. The discovery was made in the Nile Delta near Alexandria, where the ancient city of Buto used to exist.

It was by its name that the local ancient civilization was identified, the Cikavosti website notes . According to Mustafa Vaziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, archaeologists have discovered 83 burials belonging to the Buto civilization.

The graves looked like oval pits. An interesting fact is that the buried did not lie on their backs, as is typical for many funeral traditions. Instead, all the bodies were placed in the fetal position: on their knees or on their sides.

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Archaeologists have also found three burials dating back to the pre-dynastic Nakada II era (around 3200-3000 BC). This means that the people buried there died about 500 years before the reign of the first pharaoh. The unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under a single ruler took place around 2686 BC.

Clay coffins were found in these graves, the first such archaeological artifact in the region. Other ritual objects were also found along with the graves. In particular, in the graves of the Nakada III era, scientists found two cosmetic bowls.

In even older burials, researchers found a large collection of miniature pottery, mollusc shells, amulets, and jewelry made of semiprecious stones. In addition, the archaeologists unearthed the remains of the foundations of adobe structures and a kiln near the burial site.

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