Egyptian archaeologists find village that 'predated pharaohs'

The Egyptian government has found one of the oldest villages ever in the Nile Delta, dating back to before the time of the pharaohs.

According to the antiquities ministry, the neolithic site was found in Tell el Samara, a site 140km (87 miles) north of the capital Cairo.

Chief archaeologist Frederic Gio said his team discovered silos of animal bones and food which indicated that the area was inhabited by humans as early as 5,000BC.

Modern research considers the famous pyramids in Giza to have begun to be built in 2,500BC.

According to the ministry, the site contains a number of habitations which date to different periods.

By recovering organic material from the site, scientists will be able to put together the different ways in which prehistoric societies lived in the Nile delta.

Egypt has been stressing its archaeological discoveries in recent years in a bid to revive its tourism industry after the destabilisation which followed the 2011 uprising.

Earlier this year, scientists discovered an enormous void inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, prompting speculation that we may not yet know all the secrets of the ancient Egyptians.

Constructed more than 4,500 years ago, the pyramid is believed to have been built as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops.

It is one of three pyramids at the Giza complex on the outskirts of Cairo and is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that remains standing.