Minister of Antiquities Dr. Khaled Al Anani declared the discovery of three tombs that date back to the modern family, used as graveyards for cats, in addition to another four tombs belonging to the Old Kingdom.
The discovery was unraveled by an Egyptian archeological expedition during an excavation mission that started last April in the area at the rocky edge around the ascending road of King ‘Ousar Kaf’ in Sakkara archaeological site.
The discovery also included the tomb of ‘Khufu Im Hatt,’ the supervisor of royal installations at the Royal Palace in the time of the Fifth and the beginning of the sixth families.
Al-Anani said that this discovery is the first in a series of three, which will be announced in succession before the end of 2018.
The minister pointed out that the Egyptian mission had chosen this site because of the possibility of the presence of tombs of the Old Kingdom as a French archaeological mission previously worked at the beginning of the eastern rocky edge and revealed many of the graves that belong to the Old and Modern Kingdoms.
Dr. Moustafa Al Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that for the first time, the mummies of two scarabs were found in the ancient cemetery of Memphis.
“The mission revealed two mummies of large scarabs inside a rectangular limestone coffin with a curved lid that had a painting of three black scarabs along various small scarab mummies. By examining the large mummy, it was found well preserved and wrapped in linen. The expedition also found another coffin of square-shaped limestone with one scarab on the black side and two mummies of two scarabs,” elaborated Al Waziri.
During the excavations, dozens of cat mummies and about 100 wooden statues of cats were discovered, some were painted with a gold layer. A bronze statue and four heads of cat Goddess ‘Bastet’ were also found.
Moreover, wooden statues for other animals such as a lion, a cow and a falcon covered with a layer of gold were unearthed as well as colored wooden coffins of cobras with burials inside them, a wooden coffin of a crocodile with a mummy inside it and the remains of wooden coffins of poorly preserved animals.
“One thousand amulets lanterns for different gods were found including; ‘Taurt,’ ‘Anubis,’ ‘Jahtay,’ ’Horus,’ ‘Isis,’ ‘Ptah Batek,’ ’Khanum’ and ‘Abis calf.’ Other amulets had paintings of the white and red crowns, the ‘Wadij’ column, the ‘Ughat’ eye and five bronze amulets for different gods along 8 heads and 3 parts of Canopian alabaster pots and some of the writing tools including two inkwells in a good state of preservation with pens,” added Al Waziri.
In addition many papyrus was found with hieratic and demotic writings and others had chapters of the book of death. For the first time, the names of inpiduals were revealed by discovering an imaginary door for two ladies, one called “ Subk Sakht” and the other “Mfi.”
Sabri Farag, General Manager of Sakkara Antiquities Area, noted that many papyrus cords were found along a wooden coffin that included human fossils, beech headrest, alabaster and bronze utensils.
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“In addition to many carved stone, sections of fake doors including two large blocks representing part of a Sakkara tomb of one of the ministers of the Old Kingdom called "Ankh Ma Hor" was found next to 30 pottery pots and dishes from different ages,” added Farag.
Orascom Investment has sponsored this discovery as part of the company's collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities to sponsor a number of festivities and archeological discoveries in accordance with the new Commercial Care Regulation issued by the ministry in exchange for promotional privileges. The Board of Directors of the Supreme Council of Antiquities approved the sponsorship request in accordance with the new sponsorship regulations.
Naguib Sawiris, CEO of Orascom Investment, said that the company's sponsorship stems from their keenness to develop archeological sites, show Egypt's rich cultural heritage and attract the attention of the world to the civilization and monuments of Egypt.
The event was attended by Giza Governor Ahmed Rashid, members of the House of Representatives and 30 ambassadors of different countries.
On the sidelines of the conference of religions, last month various Arab and foreign ambassadors participated in the celebration of the sun illumination at Abu Simbel Temple and in many archaeological tours in the New Valley and St. Catherine in South Sinai.
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