Ancient Egyptian workshops and tombs unearthed in Saqqara

by

Ancient workshops and tombs were recently uncovered at the Saqqara necropolis near Cairo, according to Egyptian antiquities authorities. The site, which forms part of the historic capital Memphis and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, revealed workshops used for the mummification of humans and sacred animals. These workshops date back to the 30th Pharaonic Dynasty (380 BC to 343 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (305 BC to 30 BC).

Archaeologists discovered various items associated with mummification, such as clay pots and ritual vessels, within the workshops. Additionally, the tombs discovered belonged to a high-ranking official from the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt and a priest from the New Kingdom. Sabri Farag, the head of the Saqqara archaeological site, provided this information.

A colored painting is seen on a recently unearthed ancient wooden sarcophagus at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The workshops had been used to mummify humans and sacred animals, dated back to the 30th Pharaonic Dynasty 380 BC to 343 BC and Ptolemaic period 305 BC to 30 BC, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Canopic jars, which were made to contain organs that were removed from the body in the process of mummification, are seen at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, displays a recently unearthed ancient wooden sarcophagus at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Waziri said the workshops had been used to mummify humans and sacred animals, dated back to the 30th Pharaonic Dynasty 380 BC to 343 BC and Ptolemaic period 305 BC to 30 BC. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Canopic jars, which were made to contain organs that were removed from the body in the process of mummification, are seen at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
A visitor is reflected on a panel on which recently unearthed ancient artifacts are placed, as she films at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
A recently unearthed ancient wooden sarcophagus is seen at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Visitors pose for pictures on top of recently unearthed ancient embalming workshops at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil
A Canopic jar, which was made to contain organs that were removed from the body in the process of mummification, are seen at the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Saqqara is a part of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil

In recent times, the Egyptian government has made significant efforts to publicize its latest archaeological discoveries to the global media and diplomats. By doing so, it aims to attract a larger number of tourists to the country and revitalize an industry that experienced setbacks due to political unrest following the 2011 uprising.

Leave a Comment