6 hours ago
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of what it described as the first and largest cache in the excavation area of Saqqara, south of Giza, which includes 150 bronze statues and 250 wooden coffins, dating back to the late era.
The ministry said, in a statement on Monday, that the statues discovered in the tomb of the sacred animals (Popastion) are of different sizes, and belong to a number of ancient Egyptian deities, including Anubis, Amun Min, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet and Hathor.
The archaeological mission also discovered a group of bronze vessels related to the rituals of the goddess Isis, such as Alslasel, as well as a bronze statue of Imhotep without a head.
Imhotep, who lived in the third millennium BC, built the step pyramid of Djoser, one of the oldest pyramids in ancient Egypt, and Imhotep later became the god of medicine.
picture released, AFP
The statues discovered belong to a number of deities in ancient Egypt
Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, revealed the goal of the archaeological mission that has so far conducted four seasons of excavations in the area, which is to “find the tomb of Imhotep.”
The colorful wooden coffins date back to regarding 500 BC, and they were found closed and inside were mummies in a good condition of preservation.
A group of amulets and wooden statues were also discovered, in addition to cosmetics such as kohl and jewelry, according to Archyde.com.
Sealed and untouched papyrus papers were also found, and they were transferred to the Egyptian Museum, in central Cairo, for study and return to their original condition.
Waziri said the papyrus, estimated to be nine meters long, likely contained chapters from the Book of the Dead, groups of funerary texts made up of incantations used by Egyptians to guide the dead through the underworld.
Saqqara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a treasure trove of many ancient artifacts, a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, and home to more than ten pyramids.
picture released, AFP
Saqqara is a precious treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
These treasures will be displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which is the museum that the Egyptian authorities hope to open this year, following several delays, and hopes are high regarding the new museum, which will be close to the Pyramids of Giza, and the recent discoveries that contribute to reviving the tourism sector in Egypt.
The tourism sector has been hit by successive blows, including the 2011 revolution and its followingmath, the coronavirus pandemic, and now Russian and Ukrainian tourists, who made up a large part of the country’s visitors, have stopped.
