Alexandria Sarcophagus :

Officials at Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities are reportedly exasperated from fielding countless global press inquiries regarding when and how the stone coffin will be unsealed, and so far they’ve refused, understandably, to speculate who its long-dead occupant may be.

Two weeks since its discovery, the sealed black granite sarcophagus uncovered at an Egyptian construction site—a find that has captured the attention of the Internet and sparked countless mummy jokes about the curse it may unleash—has yet to be opened.

But to narrow down the possibilities, local archaeologists, who are not being named since they are not authorized to speak to National Geographic on behalf of the ministry, share their ideas about whom the sarcophagus likely does not belong to.

The mystery Sarcophagus:

The July 1 account of the discovery in Egypt’s state-run newspaper, Al Ahram, was straightforward enough: A large stone sarcophagus—still sealed—was uncovered during a construction survey in the city of Alexandria on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. A worn alabaster head of a man, possibly the coffin’s occupant, was found nearby, and the burial site was believed to date from the Ptolemaic period (ca. 323-30 B.C.).

The nearly nine-foot-long, five-foot-wide sarcophagus is the largest ancient coffin yet discovered in the city, according to an official statement. This has prompted speculation that it may be the resting place of a powerful or wealthy person—perhaps even that of Alexander the Great, who founded his namesake city in 331 B.C.

While some historical accounts claim that the great Macedonian conqueror was ultimately buried in Alexandria following his death in 323 B.C., his tomb has never been found.

archaeologists believes that, since Alexandria wasn’t even founded until the fourth century B.C., the massive sarcophagus may have been brought to the city empty, from an earlier, dynastic-period site down the Nile—such as Memphis—and then re-used to bury someone in later years.

 

What inside the sarcophagus:

What is known for sure is that if and when the sarcophagus is finally opened, it will be an engineering feat: The granite coffin is estimated to weigh some 30 tons.

Ministry of Antiquities, offered two potential methods to extract the find: One, to surround the sarcophagus with protective fill dirt and then lift the entire mass out of the pit via bulldozer; or two, to open the coffin in place and then remove the lid and base separately via a hoist.