A skeleton in the squatting position was discovered in a catacomb in Ismailia province, Egypt. (Xinhua/Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)
A multi-storey catacomb dated back to the Greco-Roman era has been discovered in Egypt's Ismailia province by an Egyptian archeological mission, said the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
CAIRO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian archeological mission discovered a multi-storey catacomb dated back to the Greco-Roman era (332 BC-395 AD) in Ismailia province, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities said Thursday.
"The upper part of the catacomb is formed of mass grave built of mud bricks during the Greco-Roman era, while the lower storeys were built before the prehistory of Egypt," said Ayman Ashmawy, head of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Ministry of Antiquities, in a statement issued by the ministry.
He explained the burial process happened in the squatting position, adding that several clay utensils were found inside the catacomb.
The excavation work resumed in the archeological sites in Ismailia after a halt for 20 years, Ashmawy said.
The ministry pays much attention to Eastern Delta and Ismailia which are rich of Greco-Roman sites, the statement added. ■
