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Egypt

Egypt says village found in Nile Delta predated pharaohs

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson

CAIRO (AP) – Egypt said Sunday that archeologists have unearthed one of the oldest villages ever found in the Nile Delta, with remains dating back to before the pharaohs.

The Antiquities Ministry said the Neolithic site was discovered in Tell el-Samara, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Cairo. Chief archaeologist Frederic Gio said his team found silos containing animal bones and food, indicating human habitation as early as 5,000 B.C. That would be some 2,500 years before the Giza pyramids were built.

Egypt
The Nile River and delta as seen from space by the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite. NASA photo

 

In recent years, Egypt has touted discoveries in the hopes of reviving tourism after the unrest that followed its 2011 popular uprising.

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