http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...ats-remains/10016646

Alexander the Great hopes dashed as massive black coffin in Alexandria turns out to contain mummified family swimming in red liquid



Egyptian archaeologists have dashed hopes that a newly-discovered ancient sarcophagus might contain the remains of Alexander the Great, finding instead what appeared to be a mummified family of three swimming in red liquid.

Key points:
The 30-tonne coffin is the largest yet found in Alexandria
The location of the remains of Alexander the Great remains a mystery
The mummies were not in the best condition, only bones remain
Workmen found the black granite tomb this month during construction of an apartment building in the historic Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.

The 30-tonne coffin, the largest yet found in Alexandria, prompted a swirl of theories in local and international media that it may be the resting place of the ancient Macedonian ruler, who founded the city that still bears his name in 331 BC.

Egypt's antiquities ministry had vigorously dismissed the chances of finding Alexander's remains inside the 2,000-year-old sarcophagus, and on Thursday its scepticism was vindicated.

"We found the bones of three people, in what looks like a family burial. Unfortunately, the mummies inside were not in the best condition and only the bones remain," Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said.

Mr Waziri said some of the remains had disintegrated because sewage water from a nearby building had leaked into the sarcophagus through a small crack in one of the sides.

Alexander died in 323 BC in Babylon, in what is now Iraq, but his remains were later moved to Alexandria. The exact location of his tomb remains a mystery.

Mr Waziri said it was unlikely the remains found this week belonged to any notable members of the Ptolemaic dynasty (332 BC-30 BC) associated with Alexander the Great, or the subsequent Roman era.

The prospect of opening the long-sealed sarcophagus had stirred fears in Egyptian media that it could unleash a thousand-year curse on its finders.

We've opened it and, thank God, the world has not fallen into darkness," Mr Waziri said.

"I was the first to put my whole head inside the sarcophagus, and here I stand before you — I am fine."

The sarcophagus in Alexandria is the latest of a series of interesting archaeological finds this year in Egypt.

Others include a 4,400-year-old tomb in Giza and an ancient necropolis in Minya, south of Cairo.

That must smell awful. Pretty cool though.

Crazy to think that it was there for around 2,000 years, probably in perfect condition until the last century or so when sewage seeped in.

How would you like to be the archaeology intern on that site?

"OK, Achmed - your job is to wade into the red goo and retrieve the bones so we can study them...There's a rag over there you can wipe off with when you get out"

Suddenly, I'm craving tomato bisque.

Pity that Geraldo Rivera wasn’t there for the momentous occasion.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Pity that Geraldo Rivera wasn’t there for the momentous occasion.

Pity that he wasn't one of those found!

How much time has to pass before it goes from grave robbing to archeology?

My favorite photo of Geraldo:

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:
How much time has to pass before it goes from grave robbing to archeology?

Well, if you're talking in terms of offense committed against the dead, I would say flooding the sarcophagus with raw sewage and leaving it to stew for however long is perhaps worse.

Why do I remember my 8th grade world history class - Alexander the Great was born in 356BC and died in 323BC. His horse was named Bucephelous (?).

quote:

We've opened it and, thank God, the world has not fallen into darkness," Mr Waziri said."I was the first to put my whole head inside the sarcophagus, and here I stand before you — I am fine."

I wonder if he blew bubbles.



.

Oh, just wait...the curse has been unleashed. So long grave robbers, uh, I mean archeologists.

I always thought finding Alexander's tomb should've been the plot of one of the Indiana Jones movies instead of the idiotic, ridiculous ideas, like crystal skulls/aliens,

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
How would you like to be the archaeology intern on that site?

"OK, Achmed - your job is to wade into the red goo and retrieve the bones so we can study them...There's a rag over there you can wipe off with when you get out"

Two words:

HAZMAT
SUIT

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
How would you like to be the archaeology intern on that site?

"OK, Achmed - your job is to wade into the red goo and retrieve the bones so we can study them...There's a rag over there you can wipe off with when you get out"

Two words:

HAZMAT
SUIT

Wrong two words.

Correct two words:

NO
WAY

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
Wrong two words.

Correct two words:

NO
WAY

Or better yet:

I
QUIT

Reminds me of a situation in a book by an American sea captain who was shipwrecked on the coast of NW Africa and taken as a slave. He made up a story of an Englishman who would pay his ransom if they went to Cairo I think.

He was so thirsty during the trip they came upon a camel carcass and they drank the fluids. They were also so hungry one of them was eating his forearms.

Their captors were amused at their suffering and what the sun did to them. The man he lied about knowing did pay his ransom and he lived to write a book about it. The story is quite instructive on what is thought of infidels.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
Why do I remember my 8th grade world history class - Alexander the Great was born in 356BC and died in 323BC. His horse was named Bucephelous (?).

Hmmm, so would that have made him -33 years old?

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
How would you like to be the archaeology intern on that site?

"OK, Achmed - your job is to wade into the red goo and retrieve the bones so we can study them...There's a rag over there you can wipe off with when you get out"

Achmed says: You talking to me, I quit.