Egypt Announces Two Archaeological Finds in Western Desert and Near Alexandria

Egyptian officials announced the discovery of a fourth-century residential settlement at the Dakhla Oasis and 18 tombs at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site on Saturday. The settlement includes north-south and east-west streets forming public squares, a mid-fourth-century basilica church, two watchtowers, and houses with vaulted roofs and reception halls.

Officials also recovered bread ovens, grinding tools, bronze and gold coins, and about 200 pottery fragments inscribed with commercial and personal records.

The new burials bring the site total to 48. Among the grave goods were pottery vessels, amphorae, lamps, an eight-foot granite sarcophagus, a plaster sphinx fragment, and four gold pieces placed in the mouths of some individuals. The ministry statement said the settlement at Dakhla Oasis and the tombs at Marina el-Alamein are intended to support tourism, which recorded 19 million visitors last year and 6.1 million in the first four months of 2026.