Archaeologists have uncovered a vast burial site in Egypt dubbed the new ‘City of the Dead’, containing over 300 tombs near the ancient city of Aswan.

Established over 4,500 years ago as a crucial trade, quarrying, and military hub, Aswan’s inhabitants’ lives have long been shrouded in mystery.

Over the course of five years, researchers have excavated 36 tombs that were reused for nearly 900 years, each containing between 30 to 40 mummies, often belonging to families who likely succumbed to infectious diseases.

The burial site spans nearly 270,000 square feet and comprises up to 10 terraces of ancient tombs arranged on a hill near the modern Mausoleum of Aga Khan III, the Daily Mail has reported.

Aswan, among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities on the east bank of the Nile River, served as a vital quarrying center for ancient Egyptian monuments and saw periods of occupation by various civilizations including ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and later imperial powers like the Romans, Turks, and British.

Written by B.C. Begley