Archeologists have discovered one of the oldest villages to date in Egypt’s Nile Delta.
The country's Antique Ministry announced on Sunday the discovery of the ancient village, which dates back to the Neolithic era, predating the countries pharaohs. According to ministry officials, the findings in the village date as far back as 5,000 B.C., about 2,500 years before the country’s famed pyramids of Giza were built.
The team of Egyptian and French archeologists heading the excavation in Tell al-Samara, in Egypt’s northern province, located several storage silos filled with animal bones and plant residues dating back thousands of years.
The archeologists also found pottery and stone tools indicating agriculture techniques used by communities in the Delta’s wetlands in ancient times.
The discovery can help to provide researchers with new information into what life was like for prehistoric communities living in the Delta during the 5th millennium B.C., helping to further discover the origins of agriculture throughout Egypt.
Ministry officials said scientists will use the new materials and other organic materials found in the site to study how prehistoric communities were able to live in the area.
The announcement comes after several historic findings in the country in the last year, including the tomb of an ancient priestess and one of the earliest-known solid pieces of cheese.
Researchers Found This Colorful 4,000-year-old Tomb Nearly 80 Years Ago — Now It’s Finally Open to the Public
If you’ve been looking for a new reason to make a journey to Egypt, we’ve got one for you: a 4,000-year-old tomb is opening to the public for the first time.
The Tomb of Mehu, located in the Saqqara necropolis near Giza, was discovered by Egyptologist Zaki Saad in 1940, but has been closed to the public for renovations ever since. Mehu was a high-ranking official in the court of King Teti during the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt.
On display in the tomb are brightly colored wall decorations indicating what life was like in Egypt at the time, including intricate drawings and inscriptions representing fishing, hunting, cooking, and dancing. The six-chamber tomb was described as one of the most beautiful in the Saqqara necropolis by Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
In preparation for the opening — some 80 years in the making — the colors of paintings and drawings were strengthened and lighting was installed to provide a sound experience for visitors.
Tourism in Egypt has been on the rebound after 2011’s Arab Spring. The country was named as the fastest growing tourist destination in 2017, according to the United Nation’s 2018 Tourism Highlights report, which reported that the amount of international visitors to Egypt more than doubled in 2017 with a 55.1% increase in international arrivals.
The opening of the Tomb of Mehu comes hot off the discovery an ancient Egyptian village older than the Great Pyramids of Giza earlier this year and the finding of a smooth-sided pyramid that might be the oldest of its kind early last year.
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