A joint Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission has uncovered Late Period and early Ptolemaic workshops, along with a Roman cemetery containing diverse burial types, at Kom al-Ahmar and Kom Waseet in Beheira Governorate, western Egypt, the tourism ministry said Tuesday. The excavation, conducted by Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and the University of Padua, revealed a large workshop complex divided into at least six rooms. Two rooms were used for fish processing, where archaeologists discovered around 9,700 fish bones, indicating a significant salted fish industry. Other rooms appear to have been used for metal and stone tool production, faience amulet making, and crafting limestone statues. Imported amphorae and Greek pottery suggest the workshops date to the 5th century BCE. The Roman cemetery uncovered at the site includes burials in three main styles: direct interment in the ground, burials within ceramic coffins, and child burials inside large amphorae. Bioarchaeological studies are being conducted on 23 skeletal remains to determine age, sex, diet, and health status, with preliminary results indicating the individuals lived in relatively good conditions without evidence of serious disease or violence. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discoveries shed light on settlement patterns, industrial activity, and funerary practices in the western Delta, and provide new insights into regional networks from the Late Period through the Roman and early Islamic eras. The mission also recovered dozens of intact amphorae and a pair of gold earrings belonging to a young girl, which have been transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for study and restoration. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
