The discoveries were made during excavation work carried out by an Egyptian archaeological mission, adding significant new insights into burial customs and the evolution of cemeteries in the eastern Nile Delta.
“This discovery demonstrates that Tell El-Deir was far more than a burial ground. Instead, it served as a fully developed funerary complex reflecting a distinct social, cultural, and religious identity,” asserted Hesham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).
He added that the finds reinforce the site’s importance as one of the eastern Delta’s key archaeological locations, with the potential to reshape current understanding of ancient settlement patterns, necropoleis, and the history of Damietta during antiquity.
Among the most notable discoveries are approximately twenty finely carved limestone funerary stelae depicting human figures. The monuments are decorated on their sides and backs with religious and symbolic imagery, including representations of the griffin, Agathodaemon, and Isis Thermouthis. These motifs illustrate the cultural and religious interaction between ancient Egyptian traditions and Graeco-Roman influences, while also pointing to the elevated social standing of the individuals commemorated.
Mohamed Abdel Badie, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the SCA, said that the excavations also yielded a large assemblage of pottery incense burners, decorated oil lamps of various forms, anthropoid barrel-shaped pottery coffins, and a collection of funerary amulets.
He explained that these discoveries provide a more comprehensive picture of the rituals and symbolic practices associated with burial across successive historical periods. The archaeological evidence further confirms that Tell El-Deir remained in continuous use from the Late Period through the end of the Roman Period, making it an exceptional record of the social, religious, and funerary transformations that took place in the Nile Delta over the course of many centuries.
Archaeologists believe the newly uncovered material will contribute significantly to future research on ancient Egyptian funerary traditions and the historical development of settlements in the Delta, further enhancing Tell El-Deir's status as one of Egypt’s most promising excavation sites.
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