Impending apocalypse? Egypt poised to open mystery black sarcophagus & Social Media is freaking out

Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a massive 2,000-year-old sealed tomb and now they want to open it to see what (or who) is inside – much to the horror of easily-spooked tweeters.

The black granite sarcophagus was uncovered in a tomb deep beneath the Egyptian city of Alexandria in early July. It’s believed to be the largest sarcophagus ever discovered in Alexandria, at 9ft long, 5ft wide and 6ft deep, says Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Mike Madden

@MikeMadden

Look, I realize that by saying this I am dooming myself to be among the first victims of whatever ancient beast emerges from it, but I don’t buy the idea that there’s anything in that sarcophagus other than a very old mummy. OF COURSE they should open it.

TEST

The sarcophagus discovery, while intriguing, has raised many questions about why a person would require such a large tomb, what artifacts it could be hiding, and what opening the vault could unleash.

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abdul

@Advil

An all black sarcophagus was discovered in Egypt. It dates back ~2000 years and was found with an alabaster head. Alexander the Great’s body was never found and was rumored to be buried in this area…. I wonder…?

F.A.C.@ROTLD_2

Egypt after opening that mysterious Black Sarcophagus

Robert McNees@mcnees

This is probably fine, and definitely not the thing that happens right before the foolhardy archaeologists ignore the ancient prophesy and unleash our doom.https://www.sciencealert.com/huge-mystery-sarcophagus-unearthed-in-egypt-alexandria 

READ MORE: The mummy returns: Ancient remains found in ‘empty’ coffin stored for 150 years (PHOTOS)

Interestingly, the sarcophagus is also covered in a thick layer of mortar, suggesting it has not been opened since the Ptolemaic period to which it dates back – between 305BC and 30BC. That means whatever is inside; a person, jewelry, clothing and anything else, would still be intact. And that was a fact not well received by some very alarmed netizens.

Catherynne Valente

@catvalente

They found this black granite sarcophagus in Alexandria and that’s really cool and all but if the movies have taught me anything…guys…don’t open that. Just don’t. Leave it alone.

Jeet Heer

@HeerJeet

If we’ve learned anything from every Mummy movie of the last 100 years, its that this sarcophagus must not be opened.

ScienceAlert@ScienceAlert

A Massive, Black Sarcophagus Has Been Unearthed in Egypt, And Nobody Knows Who’s Inside http://zpr.io/6afXT 

iucounu@iucounu

They open the mysterious black sarcophagus and inside it’s David Bowie, alive and well. He then sets about repairing the timeline using the occult knowledge he won through trickery in the Underworld

Also discovered in the tomb was the alabaster head of a man which some believe may represent the person buried in the coffin. Most ancient tombs discovered in Egypt were looted in one era or another, often leaving archaeologists with a limited understanding of the person inside. This untouched artifact gives the eager team a rare opportunity to uncover the mummy for themselves.

Some people suggested the sarcophagus coupled with the recent discovery of a Neolithic henge in Ireland is either a sign of an impending apocalypse… or a very extravagant marketing scheme for a new Indiana Jones movie.

Kate Griffin@KateAGriffin

Mexican earthquake reveals new Mayan Temple, drought shows up massive Neolithic henge in Ireland and then there’s the enormous black sarcophagus found in Egypt. It’s either the end of days or a really cunning promotion campaign for the next Indiana Jones movie

Adrian Bott@Cavalorn

Black sarcophagus in Egypt. Unknown henge surfacing in Ireland. I dunno, you wait around for ages for an apocalypse and then they all turn up at once.

READ MORE: 5,000yo Irish tomb’s winter solstice magic to be livestreamed (VIDEO)

Spooky guesses aside, the greatest hurdle might be figuring out how to open the tomb at all. Estimated to weigh some 30 tons, moving the vault will be no easy feat. Experts will have to either surround it with some protective dirt and lift the entire thing with a bulldozer, or open the coffin in situ and remove the lid and base separately, according to Waad Abul-Ela, head of the projects sector at the Ministry of Antiquities.

So as not to cause damage to the contents, archaeologists are considering using X-rays, computed tomography scans or other scientific means to get a glimpse of the inside before opening the lid.

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