Magnificent New Trove Of Ancient Egyptian Artifacts And 250 Mummies At The Saqqara Necropolis

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Once again, archaeologists report they have discovered a new trove consisting of magnificent ancient Egyptian artifacts. The ancient objects were unearthed at the Saqqara Necropolis near Cairo.

"The artifacts were showcased at a makeshift exhibit at the feet of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of the Egyptian capital.

Credit: Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities

According to Mostafa Waziri, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the find includes 250 painted sarcophagi with well-preserved mummies inside, as well as 150 bronze statues of ancient deities and bronze vessels used in rituals of Isis, the goddess of fertility in ancient Egyptian mythology, all from the Late Period, about 500 B.C.

Painted coffins with well-preserved mummies inside, dating back to the Late Period of ancient Egypt around 500 B.C, are displayed at a makeshift exhibit at the feet of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Monday, May 30, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil

A headless bronze statue of Imhotep, the chief architect of Pharaoh Djoser who ruled ancient Egypt between 2630 B.C. and 2611 B.C was also displayed," the Associated Press reports.

Credit: Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities

Most of the bronze statues depict ancient Egyptian gods such as Anubis, Osiris, Bastet, and Hathor.

"One of the burial wells included a sarcophagus that may contain chapters from the Book of the Dead, which has been transferred to restoration labs at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir for further study.

Credit: Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities

The mission also found two colored wooden statues of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys posed as mourners, and a burial well from around 1500 BC with many adornments such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and even a bronze mirror," the Cairo Scene reports.

A reporter films a headless bronze statue of Imhotep, the chief architect of Pharaoh Djoser who oversaw the building of the step pyramid, during a press conference by Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities at a makeshift exhibit at the feet of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Monday, May 30, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil

The Saqqara site is part of a sprawling necropolis at Egypt's ancient capital of Memphis that includes the Giza Pyramids and the smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1970s.

See also: More Archaeology News

The Associated Press informs the unearthed ancient artifacts will be transferred for a permanent exhibit at the new Grand Egyptian Museum, a mega project still under construction near the famed Giza Pyramids, just outside Cairo.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer