The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities has revealed the discovery of a collection of 59 sarcophagi in the Saqqara Animal Necropolis, to the south of Cairo, in a press release issued on Saturday 3 October 2020. The sarcophagi, many of which still show their original paintwork, were found inside an eleven metre deep, sand-filled vertical shaft. This is the first time Human remains have been found at the Saqqara site, which is famous for its Animal remains, including Cats, Cobras, Crocodiles, Birds, Bulls, Scarab Beetles, a Mongoose, and several Lion cubs, and has been hailed as the most significant discovery in Egypt for several decades. Only a single sarcophagus has been opened so far, and the identity of the people within them is unknown, but it is thought likely that they were priests associated with the temple-complex.
The sarcophagi are thought to be slightly over 2600 years old, dating from the the Pharaonic Late Period (664-525 BC). The initial discovery, made early in August 2020, comprised 13 sarcophagi, with further excavations exposing many more. As well as the sarcophagi, the new discoveries include a number of statues of gods, including 28 statuettes of Ptah-Soker, the god to which the complex is thought to have been dedicated, and a 35 cm tall bronze statuette of god Nefertum, inlaid with precious stones. The Animal Necrapolis is part of a wider complex of tombs and funerary temples associated with the ancient city of Memphis, which was used for over 3000 years, and includes the Giza Pyramids, the smaller of Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh, as well as many smaller tombs associated with ordinary Egyptians that date from the First Dynasty (2920-2770 BC) to the early Christian Period (until about 640 AD).
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