Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Egyptian Tombs With Colorful Mummy Masks and Treasured Statues

Finds from Saqara – Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Heritage / Facebook

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a series of rock tombs in Saqara, 1,800-4,800 years old, that contained colorful mummy masks, plates, statues, and artwork.

The joint Egyptian and Japanese archaeological mission with Kanazawa University has succeeded in uncovering a rock tomb, a number of architectural elements, burials and archaeological finds of different historical eras, inside the Catacomb tombs in the Saqara region.

They even found a statue of Harpocrates, the child god of silence, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Dr. Mustafa Waziri, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Archaeology, explained on a Facebook post from Ministry of Tourism and Heritage that studying the architectural design of the discovered cemetery and the ceramic plates and pots found inside it points to the historical period of its construction dating back to the Second Dynasty era.

“The burials that have been revealed consist of the remains of a human burial of a man with a colored mask, another burial of a young child, as well as a number of late and heroic burials with a coffin from the Eighteenth Family Era inside an alabaster plot in good condition,” said Dr. Mohamed Youssef, Director General of Saqara Archaeology who’s leading the Egyptian side.

Artwork with words saying it was created for a man named Heroide – Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Heritage on Facebook

Ahram Online explained that the discovery includes intricate designs that “offer a glimpse into the craftsmanship of ancient Egyptian builders” and a window into the lives of those who lived in this ancient civilization.

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Archaeology in Saqara – released by Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Heritage on Facebook

Nozumo Kawai, leading the Japanese side, said that the mission found two white terracotta statues of the idol Isis, and of the child idol riding a bird, masked with remains of green and white colors.

They also found parts of two mascots of Isis and the idol Oshabati made of limestone with hieroglyphic inscriptions; a pottery saddle; and a pottery pieces with hieratic inscriptions.