EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS REVEAL NEWLY-DISCOVERED ANIMAL MUMMIES
Experts from Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities revealed on Saturday a range of recently discovered animal mummies.
They are showcasing the find of two lion cubs, several crocodiles, along with birds and cats at the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, south of Cairo.
Mummies and a variety of artifacts have been uncovered at the site.
‘We are finding here hundreds of objects,’ said Antiquities Minister Khaled el-anany.
‘All of them are very interesting from the Egyptological point of view to know better this area.’
The Saqqara plateau has been home to at least 11 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid and hundreds of tombs of ancient officials, ranging from the 1st Dynasty (2920 B.C.-2770 B.C.) to the Coptic period (395-642).
Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, revealed to reporters local archaeologists had uncovered a cache that includes hundreds of mummified animals, birds and crocodiles.
He said among the items discovered were two lion cubs but radar scans were needed on three others to determine that mummies were also lions.
Mummified cats are regularly found by archaeologists but finding a lion is rare.
Back in 2004 experts made that find as the first lion skeleton was found in Saqqara, revealing the sacred status of the animal in ancient times.
Wooden and bronze cat statues, which represents the ancient goddess Bastet and a rare large stone scarab, which Waziri hailed as ‘the largest all over the world’ were uncovered.
Two mummies of ichneumon, or the Egyptian mongoose, wrapped in linen bandages and wooden and tin-glazed statuettes of the goddess Sekhmet, represented as a woman with the head of a lioness, have also gone on show.scholars say Sekhmet (1390-1252 B.C.) was a goddess of war and the destroyer of the enemies of the sun god Re.
Strips of papyrus with depictions of the goddess Taweret depicted as a hippopotamus with the tail of a crocodile were also found.
Markings on the displayed artifacts show that they date back to the Late Period (664-332 B.C.).
It is hoped the latest find in Saqqara will help boost the country’s tourism industry, which has been hampered by the turmoil in the wake of the 2011 uprising which led to the fall of Egypt’s longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.