Egypt: 350 colorful statues and sarcophagi found in an archaeological cache in Saqqara
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of the first and largest cache dating back to the late period during the work of the fourth excavation season in the cemetery of the sacred animals (Albubastioun) in the Saqqara archaeological area.
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and head of the Egyptian archaeological mission working in the cemetery, Dr. Mustafa Waziri, said that the discovered cache includes 150 bronze statues of various sizes of a number of ancient Egyptian deities, including Anubis, Amun Min, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet, and Hathor, in addition to To a group of bronze vessels related to the rituals of the goddess Isis, such as Al-Salasel, as well as a bronze statue of the engineer Imhotep without a head, very precise and beautiful.
Waziri added, in a statement today, Monday, that the mission was also able to uncover a new set of burial wells, inside of which a group of 250 colored wooden coffins were found from the Late Period, about 500 BC, closed and containing mummies in good condition of preservation, in addition to a group Amulets and wooden figurines, some with gilded faces, and colored wooden boxes.
He pointed out that the excavations inside one of the discovered burial wells resulted in the discovery of a papyrus sarcophagus in a good state of preservation, possibly containing chapters from the Book of the Dead, and that it was transferred to the restoration laboratories of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir for sterilization, hydration, study and knowledge of the texts it contains.
According to the statement, the mission also found two painted wooden statues with a gilded face, in a good state of preservation, of the two goddesses Isis and Nephthys in the position of mourners, in addition to finding a burial from the modern state around 1500 BC, containing many adornment tools such as a bronze mirror. And a group of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and anklets with their own wands and copper tools for everyday life.
It is noteworthy that the Egyptian archaeological mission began its work on the site since 2018, when it succeeded in discovering the unique tomb of the priest of the Fifth Dynasty “Wahi”, in addition to seven rock tombs, including three tombs from the New Kingdom and four tombs from the Old Kingdom, and the facade of a cemetery from the Old Kingdom, in addition to Uncovering more than a thousand faience amulet, dozens of wooden cat figurines, cat mummies, wooden figurines and animal mummies.
In 2020, the mission also succeeded in discovering more than 100 closed wooden sarcophagi in their first state from the late period inside burial wells, 40 statues of the god of the Saqqara cemetery, Ptah Sukar with gilded parts, and 20 wooden boxes of the god Horus. This discovery was classified as one of the ten most important archaeological discoveries. in the world for the year 2020.
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