2,300-year-old mummification workshops found in Egypt

what is known

The workshops date back about 2,300 years and were in use between the end of the 30th Dynasty and the beginning of the Ptolemaic reign. At that time, Egypt lost its independence: it was conquered first by the Persians, and then by the army of Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, Egypt was captured by one of his generals, Ptolemy I. His descendants ruled the country for nearly three centuries.

The human embalming workshop is made of raw brick and contains two beds used to embalm people. Remains of tools and resin used in the mummification process were found inside.

Meanwhile, the animal embalming workshop contains numerous clay pots and tools used for mummification. In Egypt, animals associated with the gods, such as cats, dogs, and birds, were regularly sacrificed and mummified for ancient Egyptian funeral rites and rituals.

Several such animal burials have been found, suggesting that the workshop may have been used for ceremonies associated with the ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet, who was depicted as a cat.

Finds made in the workshop / Photo Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Nearby, archaeologists also discovered two tombs that appear to have been built long before the workshops.

• According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, one of them was built for a man who, according to hieroglyphic inscriptions, lived some 4,400 years ago and held many titles, including “director of scribes.”
• The second tomb dates back about 3400 years and was built for a priest.
• Exactly what human remains they contain is unknown, but at least one sarcophagus has been found.

Also, not far from the workshops, in a niche in the wall, archaeologists found an alabaster statue about 1 meter high.

Several such workshops have been found in Egypt. This will help to better understand the mysterious mummification process. Historical texts and archaeological finds suggest that animal embalming workshops “possibly involved some degree of mass production,” while human embalming workshops were slower. All families apparently worked as embalmers, the craft was handed down from generation to generation, and there were different prices for different levels of embalming.