Egyptian animal mummies showcased near Cairo

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Bangla Tribune Desk
Published : 13:06, Nov 24, 2019 | Updated : 13:09, Nov 24, 2019

The animal mummies were found at Saqqara, an ancient burial ground south of Egypt's capital Cairo. PHOTO: ReutersA large cache of mummified animals discovered in an ancient Egyptian necropolis have been displayed for the first time near the capital Cairo.
Archaeologists discovered the trove last year near the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, south of the capital, reports BBC.
They uncovered hundreds of artifacts, including masks, statues and mummified cats, crocodiles, cobras and birds.
Tourists showed up in large numbers to see the artefacts on display. PHOTO: ReutersEgyptian authorities unveiled the artifacts at an exhibition near the Saqqara necropolis on Saturday.
Tests are being carried out to verify whether two of the mummified animals are lion cubs, BBC reports quoting Egypt's ministry of antiques said.
Unlike mummified cats, which are frequently found by archaeologists, the discovery of intact lions is considered rare.
A large scarab statue was among the hundreds of artefacts discovered. PHOTO: ReutersAt a news conference on Saturday, one Egyptian official touted a large scarab statue as one of the most significant discoveries.
"The most lovely discovery out of those hundreds: that scarab," said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
"It is the biggest and [largest] scarab all over the world."
Archaeologists suspect two of the mummified animals are lion cubs. PHOTO: ReutersSaqqara is an ancient burial ground that served as the necropolis for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than two millennia.
Located around 30km (18 miles) south of Cairo, Saqqara was an active burial ground for more than 3,000 years and has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site.
In recent years, Egypt has ramped up its promotion of its archaeological finds in a bid to revive its vital but flagging tourism industry.

 

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