The Egyptian archaeological mission working in the cemetery of sacred animals (Bubasteion necropolis) in Saqqara, unearthed the first and largest cache at the site dating back to the late period.
The mission unearthed 250 sarcophagi, 150 bronze statues of ancient Egyptian deities of different sizes including, Anubis, Amun-Min, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet, and Hathor, in addition to a group of bronze vessels related to the rituals of the goddess Isis.
Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and head of the mission, said that they also discovered a new group of burial wells, in which a group of 250 coloured wooden coffins from the late period, about 500 BC, were found, closed and containing mummies in good condition of preservation, in addition to a group of amulets and wooden statues, some of which are gilded in face, as well as colorful wooden boxes.
Waziri indicated that the excavations inside one of the discovered burial wells resulted in the discovery of a sarcophagus in a good state of preservation that may contain 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.
The mission also found two colored 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 New Kingdom around 1500 BC, containing many adornment tools such as a bronze mirror and a group of Bracelets, necklaces, earrings and anklets have their own staples and copper tools for everyday life.
The Egyptian archaeological mission has completed its fourth excavation of the site since April 2018.
