The artifacts date back to about 2,500 years ago, during Egypt’s Late Period, according to the Egyptian antiquities department. The treasure was found in the “Cemetery of Ancient Animals” in Saqqara, a temple complex on the outskirts of Cairo associated with the ancient Egyptian goddess, who was worshiped there in the form of a cat.
However, the complex changed its name in 2019, after archaeologists discovered several animal mummies and statues of Egyptian gods there.
Among the discoveries made on May 30, archaeologists discovered many figures representing Egyptian cats and gods and various gods and goddesses.
Statue of the goddess buried with the mummy found
“Today’s discovery confirms that the temple was not dedicated to cats but also to other Egyptian gods,” said excavation director Mohammed Al Saidi.
The Saqqara cemetery is located near the edge of a desert plateau about 25 kilometers south of Cairo. The ancient tomb has been the site of a large-scale excavation by Egyptian archaeologists since 2018. This is the fifth largest discovery of artifacts found there, including 59 mummies found in 2018. 2020 and there are still many years of work to be done.
The latest finds include around 150 bronze statues of ancient Egyptian gods, such as Anubis, the god of death often depicted with the head of a jackal; Osiris, king of the dead; Amon-Min, a fertility god often depicted with an erect penis; Nefertem, son of Bastet; Isis, wife of Osiris and goddess of fertility; and Hathor, an extremely popular goddess who was considered the protector of women.
Archaeologists also found two painted wooden statues of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, or Nephthys, the sister of Isis. Both goddesses are represented as guardians of coffins, and each of the two statues has a face made of layers of gold leaf.
Archaeologists also found a papyrus scroll (paper made from reeds) in the same coffin; It was unrolled, but archaeologists believe it could have been up to 10 meters long and contained chapters from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a ritual text meant to guide a dead person’s journey across the other side of the world. It has now been sent to the laboratory for further tests.
This is the first time that artifacts from Egypt’s Late Period have been found in Saqqara, according to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
Mustafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that the first phase of excavations at Saqqara unearthed the unique tomb of a priest and official called “Wahtye,” who lived around 2,500 BC during the Fifth Dynasty.
Excavators also discovered seven dolmens in this area: three from Egypt’s New Kingdom period (1570 BC to 1069 BC) and four from the Old Kingdom period (2575 BC to 2150 BC). .).
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