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News > Science and Tech

Egypt: Dozens of Animal Mummies And Statues Discovered

  • An Egyptian archaeologist works on the mummified cats inside the tomb of Khufu-Imhat, at the Saqqara area near its necropolis, in Giza, Egypt.

    An Egyptian archaeologist works on the mummified cats inside the tomb of Khufu-Imhat, at the Saqqara area near its necropolis, in Giza, Egypt. | Photo: Reuters

Published 10 November 2018
Opinion

An Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered seven tombs belonging to different pharaonic eras in the funerary complex, the oldest one dates from over 6,000 years ago.

Egyptian authorities have announced, on Saturday, the discovery of seven sarcophagi containing cat mummies and mummified scarab beetles, that are over six thousand years old. The discovery was made on a site in the Saqqara pyramid complex, south of Cairo.

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An Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered seven tombs belonging to different pharaonic eras in the funerary complex, the oldest one dates from over 6,000 years ago.

As they were preparing the site to present the latest discoveries, archaeologists found the door of another tomb that remains sealed, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters.

The tomb dates from the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom and is unusual because the facade and door are intact, meaning its contents may still be untouched, said Mohamed Youssef, director of the Saqqara area. He said experts plan to open the tomb in the coming weeks.

The Fifth Dynasty ruled Egypt from about 2,500 BC to 2,350 BC, not long after the great pyramid of Giza was built.

The tombs lie in a buried ridge that has only partially been uncovered, and could offer many more similar discoveries, Waziri said. Excavations in the area had halted in 2013 before resuming earlier this year.

Two large scarabs wrapped in linen and in very good condition were found inside a limestone sarcophagus with a vaulted, decorated lid, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.

Another collection of scarab mummies was found inside a smaller sarcophagus. “The (mummified) scarab is something really unique. It is something really a bit rare,” Waziri said. “A couple of days ago, when we discovered those coffins, they were sealed coffins with drawings of scarabs. I never heard about them before.”

Dozens of cat mummies and gilded statues of cats were unearthed, including a bronze statue dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet. The team also found painted wooden cobra and crocodile sarcophagi, a collection of gilded statues depicting animal features, as well as objects including amulets, canopic jars, writing tools and papyri baskets.

Saqqara served as the necropolis for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than two millennia. Ancient Egyptians mummified humans to preserve their bodies for the afterlife, while animal mummies were used as religious offerings.

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