Ptolemaic giant sarcophagus to be opened

[Duncan Head]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/12/archaeologists-open-huge-granite-sarcophagus-alexandria-egypt

[Patrick Waterson]

One to keep an eye on.

What is left of the alabaster head looks Greek style, but that is no guarantee of nationality; Si-Amon's tomb at Siwa shows the incumbent both clean-shaven and Egyptian-clad and with a Greek hairstyle and beard, while his son wears a chlamys (Greek cloak).  The sarcophagus when opened should at least reveal a name.

[Dangun]

What other archaeological sites or objects await opening?

The first Qin Emepror's tomb must be top of the list.

Followed by Japanese tombs in general.

[Patrick Waterson]

'Await finding' can be more of a constraint than 'await opening'.  While tombs are indeed usually fascinating - and often informative - cultural 'time capsules', my target list would be archives, starting with the 18th Dynasty 'foreign office' archives most probably located under the Luxor tourist office.

[Duncan Head]

The super-sarcophagus has been opened, and contains three bodies swimming in sewage:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/19/three-mummies-egyptian-black-granite-sarcophagus-alexandria

... initial assessments showed the trio were probably soldiers, with one of the skulls displaying evidence of arrow blows

[Andreas Johansson]

Waziri said the lack of death masks in precious metals, amulets, statuettes or inscriptions on the sarcophagus meant the bodies were unlikely to be those of Ptolemaic or Roman royals.

Roman royals sounds a little unlikely for ca 300 BC, death masks or not ...

[Patrick Waterson]

Roman royals sounds a little unlikely for ca 300 BC, death masks or not ...

Very true.  Tarquin IX, exile in Egypt, petitions the Pharaoh for a sarcophagus ...

Three to a sarcophagus is an unusual configuration, and makes me wonder whether the sarcophagus actually belongs to the immediately pre-Ptolemaic period, coincident with the last Persian reconquest of Egypt (343 BC) or the revolt of 335 BC.  Arrow wounds to the skull would be consistent with opposing an Achaemenid army in battle, even though the Achaemenids of the period used mercenary Greeks as their cutting-edge troops.

The lack of hieroglyphs on the exterior suggests hasty and unplanned interment.