Ongoing excavations in the Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara, south of Cairo, have unearthed two mummification workshops and the tombs of two important priests. The last treasures of the site, which the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced May 27paint a more complete picture of the mummification process.
Researchers discovered two of Egypt’s largest known embalming workshops just one year after excavating the shrine of the goddess Bastet at Saqqara, where many mummified cats were found buried, and four years after unearthing animals and statues near this very place, Reuters reported.
Mostafa Waziri of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities unveiling the finds during a press conference at the Saqqara necropolis on May 27, 2023. Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images.
The workshops date back to the 30th Dynasty (380-343 BCE) and the Ptolemaic Era (305-30 BCE) respectively. One is nearly seven feet long and two feet wide, with numerous stone beds clearly intended for humans. The other has five stone beds arranged on earthen and stone floors. Early studies indicate that the latter site, due to the size of its beds, was intended for animals.
Gutters line the work surfaces in both workshops. Clay pots to hold the entrails rubbed shoulders with ritual vessels and natron salt, an important ingredient in mummification.
People visit the Saqqara area in Giza, Egypt, May 27, 2023. Photo: Fareed Kotb/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.
Two tombs belonging to identified rulers join the latest crop of finds – one belonging to Ne Hesut Ba, a high official and priest of the 5th Dynasty, and another, Men Kheber, who served the 18th Dynasty of the Lower Empire . The tomb of Ne Hesut Ba, dated to around 2,400 BCE, features images of “scenes of daily life, agriculture and hunting”, Saqqara site director Mohamed Youssef said. Engraved portraits and an alabaster statue were found in the tomb of Men Kheber, dated to 1400 BCE
In total, the four discoveries complete a set of ceramics found at Saqqara in February with etchings and residue used by scientists to determine ancient mummification ingredients.
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