In addition to being the place where we can see the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that has survived to the present day, Egypt is also a place where hidden secrets dating back thousands of years are revealed. From time to time we discover new details, for example how they managed to build the imposing pyramids of Giza, but also uncharted places that hide all kinds of treasures.

One of these latest discoveries concerns precise mummification techniques, but the Saqqara burial shaft also once again brings to the table something very interesting: Egypt was a well-oiled machine when it came to exploiting death.

Sakkara. About 30 kilometers south of Cairo lies the village of Sakkara. Even though its area of ​​influence was not very wide, it did not prevent it from being an impressive mausoleum. This area, which has been an important spot for funerals and religious ceremonies for thousands of years, includes the Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest stone building complex still standing.

It’s a pretty interesting step pyramid, but the most amazing thing about this area isn’t on the surface, it’s underground. For a time, Saqqara was the place chosen by kings as their eternal resting place, and their courtiers were also buried alongside them in complex groups of special tombs. Saqqara’s preference as a noble tomb waned with the end of empires, but it was still chosen to bury some nobles and officials.

animal necropolis. Near the stepped pyramid is the Necropolis of Animals. It is a huge burial center that was discovered in 1955 while searching for the famous tomb of Imhotep and contains many mummified animals. It is believed that this necropolis served to house animals that were reincarnations of the gods.

More recently, a mausoleum containing eight million mummified dogs was found. This underground cemetery, which is 173 meters long and 140 meters wide, also contains mummies of jackals, foxes, hawks, cats and mongoose, although 92% of them belong to dogs. This is not something that surprises us since the ancient Egyptians had an animal cult, but this cult was quite cruel at times.

So much so that there are numerous dog mummies in perfect condition, but researchers have also found puppies believed to have been bred “for the cult”. No puppies with broken necks were found to perform the rituals, so they probably starved to death when separated from their mothers. So why are there so many dogs? Because they were the catacombs of the temple of Anubis. In the research, the remains of a marine vertebrate between 56 and 48 million years old, which once lived there and of course the ancient Egyptians did not even know existed, were found.

a mine. Over the years, archaeologists have continued to find human mummies and other treasures, such as funerary masks or small statues. This mask was a great discovery because the last time a mask in similar conditions was found was in 1939. In 2018, a team of Polish archaeologists found dozens of 2,000-year-old mummies and several tombs of nobles. The same year, seven more tombs were uncovered containing both human and cat mummies, as well as dozens of mummies and a hundred statues dedicated to the goddess Bastet.

Another 4,400-year-old tomb for a high-ranking priest has been discovered, containing more than fifty statues. In April 2019, another research team found a 4,000-year-old tomb with painted reliefs, and in November another 30 coffins were found with a treatment that continues to polish this eternal resting place even after 6,000 years.

explosion of 2020. Come on, it quickly turned out that Saqqara was a huge (and luxurious) cemetery, but when the year 2020 came, all these discoveries were in vain. A documentary was even made about the interest and funeral richness of the region. in the person who accompanied one of the archaeological groups on their expeditions. And there were many. As the months passed, numerous burial pits were discovered containing many sarcophagi.

Some of these were luxurious, others wooden coffins with elaborately painted details, and most recently, in April this year, a rock tomb dating back to the Second Dynasty was found containing the remains of an adult and a young child. Two terracotta statues of Isis, amulets and a mask were found.

A work of death. Beyond the curiosity of these discoveries of both animal and human remains is evidence of ancient Egypt’s massive (and I lack stronger adjectives) death industry. What was common to all these tombs was the decoration of coffins or sarcophagi, figurines, statues, masks, luxurious clothing and, of course, mummification itself.

All this cost money, and the Egyptians’ obsession with ensuring that their relatives reached the other side in the best conditions resulted in an impressive structure that made very clever use of death. We are no longer talking about building pyramids, we are talking about the creation of all small and large objects that accompany the deceased or are made directly to please the deity involved.

One of those who led one of the excavations, Dr. Mohammad Youssef said in the documentary: “The process of mummification and burial is an economic process as well as a religious one. Many people participated in this enterprise. Carpenters, merchants, craftsmen.” , priests, guards, and those who managed everything, like notaries, were involved.”

Currently, Saqqara is home to the largest concentration of coffins ever discovered in Egypt. And considering that something new comes along every now and then, it’s a safe bet that there are still old treasures that have yet to come to light.

Pictures | Smithsonian Canal

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