2000-year-old tomb discovered in southern Egyptian province
SOHAG: A tomb dating back over 2,000 years to Egypt’s Ptoloemaic era has been discovered in the southern province of Sohag, the country’s Ministry of Antiquities announced.
Antiquities Minister Khaled Al-Anany said about the discovery, “The perfectly well-decorated tomb belonged to a nobleman called Toutou and his wife, a musician who played castanets.”
The tomb, which was discovered at Al-Dayabat archaeological site, consists of two tiny rooms containing two limestone sarcophagi, the minister said.
Egyptian archeologists found a well preserved female mummy and more than 300 objects and fragments including 50 mummified falcons, eagles, cats, dogs and rats in the tomb, SecretaryGeneral of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri, who described the tomb as “one of the most exciting discoveries ever in the area.” “A large number of mummified shrews, which look like very small mice but with a longer nose, were found in perfect conditions of preservation inside the more than 2,000-year-old tomb,” Waziri added.
Rats were also worshipped because it was believed they could cure blindness.
He explained that ancient Egyptians believed small rats which run very fast and see very well at night resembled Horus, a sky deity in their pantheon.