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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ancient Tomb Discovered in Cairo, Egypt

Aired January 03, 2002 - 06:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Archaeological sites can turn up in some unsuspected places like right under a home in the heart of Cairo, Egypt.

As CNN's James Martone reports, discovering the tomb was a happy accident for researchers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES MARTONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A wonderful find in the heart of Cairo, Zahi Hawas, head of Cairo and Giza's pharaonic site, says this ancient tomb was discovered when a house was torn down because the owner wanted to build a high-rise.

ZAHI HAWAS: This tomb is unique because it's found underneath the foundation of a house. We had to come and excavate, and we found this large tomb about 25 feet under the ground. It is not only one tomb, it's four tombs.

MARTONE: The tomb's architecture is also unique, says Hawas, as it is one of the few in tact examples of 26th Dynasty building, and the fact the bodies remain make the find a valuable source of information.

HAWAS: We found the bones and therefore I am taking these bones now to the lab at Giza.

MARTONE (on camera): Oh goodness, is that a -- that's a skull.

HAWAS: This is the skull of one of the deceased that was buried inside this place. It's dated back to 2,500 years ago, but when we do the X-ray on this skull, we can find out the age and we can find through the study of the other bones here, we can find about diseases and we can find about the height of the man.

MARTONE (voice-over): Initial excavations show the tomb as that of Washore (ph), a rich architect who built palaces for 26th Dynasty pharaoh, kings and queens 2,500 years ago.

HAWAS: This is just (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of hieroglyphical inscription showing the deceased, Washore (ph), standing and in front of him were the Sispo king (ph), (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MARTONE: Washore's (ph) family consisted of at least six, as six sarcophagi, or stone coffins, inside the tomb suggest. Also discovered in the tomb were these tiny statuettes called sowati (ph) that assisted Washore after he was dead.

HAWAS: Answered the questions that they asked the deceased in the afterlife, and also they do the tasks, instead of the deceased -- they work. They do the work.

MARTONE: Hussein Abul Fetouh, who indirectly discovered the tomb by knocking down his villa, says he'd often suspected something or someone lurked below.

"I used to dream someone was strangling me or someone was coming in my window," he says.

MARTONE: Hussein wants the tomb moved to this nearby already excavated area, part of a cemetery dating back 6,000 years to Egypt's first Dynasty. Archaeologists say the cemetery is also a deposit for other ancient graves and pharaonic artifacts dug up or discovered over the years.

James Martone, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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