Egyptian Archaeologists Unveil Two Largest Embalming Workshops Found to Date – Reports
16:37 27.05.2023 (Updated: 10:22 25.04.2024)
© Sputnik . Zaman Ramazanov
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CAIRO (Sputnik) – Archaeologists in Egypt unveiled on Saturday two human and animal embalming workshops, the largest known to date, at the ancient site of Saqqara located to the south of Cairo, media reported, citing Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Ahmed Issa.
The mission, led by the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, also found two burial sites and some other artifacts, the regional broadcaster reported. The workshops, one of which was used for mummifying humans and the other for embalming animals, date back to the Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt and the beginning of the Ptolemaic period, Waziri was cited as saying.
The Egyptian Archaeological Mission has been excavating at Saqqara since 2018. Previous excavations discovered ancient tombs with mummified animals, including cats, lion cubs, crocodiles, mongooses and scarabs. Later that year, archaeologists unearthed an intact tomb around 4,400 years old, which is believed to have belonged to a high-ranking official who lived during the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt. Other tombs dating back to the Old and New Kingdoms were also discovered there.
Saqqara is home to the oldest necropolis, whose first burials date back to the First Dynasty of Egypt, and the iconic Step Pyramid of Djoser.
