Byzantine and Late Period Relics Uncovered in Meir Necropolis, Egypt
An Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered a collection of structural relics from the Byzantine and Late Periods in the Meir Necropolis in the Assiut Governorate.
The mission discovered the extensive remains of two-level structures in the Meir Necropolis. The upper level consisted of monks’ cells with a court and a number of chambers. The lower level consisted of a collection of burials.
“The discovery highlights the significance of Meir during the Old and Middle Kingdoms as well as the Late Period,” said Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, referring to a Coptic text engraved on one of the walls of the structural remains.
The text, written in black ink, consists of eight lines of prayers to God. Above it, three clay shelves may have been used to hold the monks’ equipment at the time or manuscripts.
The burials include a collection of coffins and human skeletons in poor condition, among them the funerary objects of an unidentified lady. These objects consist of remains of a decorated coffin in poor condition, a funerary mask and collar, clay pots of different shapes and sizes, along with a group of blue and black faience beads and two copper mirrors, said Adel Okasha, head of the Central Archaeological Department for Antiquities in Middle Egypt.
The Meir site is located about 50 kilometers northwest of the Upper Egyptian city of Assiut. Provincial rulers, or nomarchs, were buried in tombs on the hillside. Several of the tombs have been cleared and opened to visitors. The necropolis has many important rock-cut tombs dating to the sixth and seventh dynasties, painted with colored scenes depicting daily life including industries and sports with a distinct local style.
