A well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city in the western desert is one of two major archaeological finds announced by Egypt on Saturday.The recent discoveries at the Dakhla Oasis and at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, near Alexandria, are the latest findings that the Egyptian government hopes will boost the country’s vital tourism sector, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing.Archaeologists also recently uncovered human remains and a myriad of artifacts in part of a Greco-Roman cemetery that dates back more than 2,300 years. The complete skeletal remains of two wild boars, a rare find at ancient Egyptian funerary sites, were found. At the time, boars were known as Seth (or Set), a deity associated with chaos and violence in ancient Egyptian mythology.AdvertisementAdvertisementAlong with the strategic Suez Canal, tourism is a major source of foreign currency in the cash-strapped country.Limestone-built tombs discovered in the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site. / Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities via APDetails of daily life during Byzantine empireThe Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said the first discovery reveals details of daily life, urban development and economic activities in the Dakhla Oasis in the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine empire.The unearthed quarters included north-south thoroughfares intersected by east-west streets, forming open squares and public spaces, said Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities.A basilica church, dating back to the mid-fourth century, stands at the settlement’s head, overlooking its main streets, along with remains of two watchtowers to safeguard the outskirts, said Mahmoud Massoud, who chairs the archaeological mission.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe oasis, located in Egypt’s western province of New Valley in the western desert, is on …
