The Egyptian archaeological mission work in at el-Gerza site in Fayoum (About 30 miles north west of Lahun pyramid) discovered during the 10th field season a large funerary structure dated to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods as well as a number of Fayoum portraits.
Dr Mostafa Waziry (Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities) said “The discovery shows the diversity and difference in quality of the mummification process during the Ptolemaic and Roman times based on the financial status of the deceased.
A rare terracotta statue of Isis Aphrodite was discovered inside one of the burials in a wooden coffin besides papyrus records in demotic and greek on the social and economic situation for the inhabitants of the area during those periods.â€
Dr Adel Okasha (Director of central administration of middle Egypt antiquities) said “The discovered structure is a large building styled as a funerary building with coloured gypsum tiled floors. To the south of it, a colonnade hall where the remains of 4 columns were found then the building leads to a narrow road.
The mummies portraits known as Fayoum Portraits as the first to be discovered since the last ones discovered by Flinders Petrie over 115 years ago.â€
Dr Basem Gehad (field director) said “The mission discovered a number of different styles of coffins including human shaped and Greek shaped coffins.â€
Gerza village was known as Philadelphia during the Roman period as it was established during the 3rd century B.C as a part of the agriculture project by King Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) in Fayoum to secure food sources for the Egyptian kingdom at that time.
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