A six-metre tunnel stretching more than 4 feet has been discovered under a temple in the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, located on Egypt's Mediterranean coastline. The temple is dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Osiris and his wife, the goddess Isis. Kathleen Martínez of the University of San Domingo explained that the tunnel, dated to the Ptolemaic period (304-30 BC), carried water to the people of the city. "This is an exact replica of the Eupalinos Tunnel in Greece, which is considered one of the most important engineering achievements of antiquity." Inside the tunnel, Martínez and his colleagues found two alabaster heads, coins and statue fragments of Egyptian gods.
Sixteen rock-cut tombs containing mummies dating to the Greco-Roman period were discovered at Taposiris Magna, near Alexandria. The holy city was founded in the 3rd century BC and was an important place for the worship of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead and the underworld. Two of the mummies were found with tongue-shaped, gold-plated amulets placed in their mouths, and experts believe they should have helped ensure the deceased could speak to Osiris in the afterlife.
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