Incredible 4,500-year-old cemetery discovered near Egypt’s Giza pyramids

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Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered an ancient cemetery near the famous Giza pyramids just outside Cairo.

In a Facebook post, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities said that the discovery was made at the Giza Plateau, where the pyramids are located.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said Saturday the cemetery houses burial shafts and tombs of top officials and a fine limestone statue from the Old Kingdom's Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 B.C.).

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One tomb belongs to a priest and judge named Behnui-Ka as well as an official named Nwi, who is described as “chief of the great state, overseer of the new settlements and the purifier of King Khafre.”

The cemetery was uncovered on the Giza Plateau. (Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

Ashraf Mohi, the head of the Giza Plateau archaeological site, says scientists know that the cemetery had been reused extensively in the Late Period (664-332 B.C.), as archeologists found painted and decorated wooden anthropoid coffins, and wooden and clay funerary masks from that period.

Egypt’s former Minister of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass attended the event where the discovery was announced. The cemetery is located next to another graveyard where pyramid builders were buried, he said.

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Egypt continues to reveal fresh details of its rich history. Archaeologists recently uncovered the 2,500-year-old remains of a powerful high priest in dramatic fashion.

Archaeologists discovered painted and decorated wooden anthropoid coffins at the site. (Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

The secrets of a mysterious “Tomb of the Warriors” were also recently revealed in a PBS documentary, and solving an ancient puzzle, archaeologists discovered the wreck of an extremely rare vessel that traveled the Nile around 2,500 years ago.

STRANGE 2,500-YEAR-OLD WRECK DISCOVERED IN NILE 'SHIP GRAVEYARD,' SOLVING ANCIENT PUZZLE

In another project, archaeologists recently found a large ram-headed sphinx that is linked to King Tutankhamun’s grandfather. In other projects, a teenage girl’s skeleton was discovered in a mysterious grave near the Meidum pyramid, south of Cairo.

This photo provided by Ministry of Antiquities shows an uncovered part of ancient cemetery at an area by the famed pyramids at the Giza plateau just outside Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 4, 2019. (Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

Last month, experts announced the discovery of dozens of mummies in ancient desert burial chambers. Archaeologists also recently explained the strange brown spots on some of the paintings in King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

In January, archaeologists announced the discovery of ancient tombs in the Nile Delta north of Cairo. In a separate project, two ancient tombs dating back to the Roman period were uncovered in Egypt’s Western Desert.

AMAZING RAM-HEADED SPHINX LINKED TO KING TUT’S GRANDFATHER DISCOVERED IN EGYPT

In another project, archaeologists discovered a stunning sphinx statue at an ancient temple in southern Egypt.

Archaeologists discovered a number of artifacts, including a statue. (Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

Last summer, experts unlocked the secrets of a mysterious ancient ‘cursed’ black granite sarcophagus. The massive coffin, which was excavated in the city of Alexandria, was found to contain three skeletons and gold sheets with the remains.

Archaeologists also found the oldest solid cheese in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient city of Memphis.

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The ancient cemetery site. (Ministry of Antiquities via AP)

A mummy buried in southern Egypt more than 5,000 years ago has also revealed its grisly secrets, shedding new light on prehistoric embalming practices.

Fox News’ Chris Ciaccia and The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers