Graves of nearly 600 cats and dogs in ancient Egypt may be the worldβs oldest pet cemetery
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The remains of some 588 cats, dogs and monkeys were found in a site in the ancient Egyptian port of Berenike in what archaeologists believe may be the oldest known pet cemetery, Pictured: A cat skeleton from Berenice wearing a bronze collar
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A number of the dogs found on the site had medical issues that they couldnβt have survived without a human caregiver. Many, like this dog, were buried under pottery βwhich formed a kind of sarcophagusβ
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Marta and Piotr Osypinska first unearthed the site in 2011 but didnβt immediately determine its purpose as a pet cemetery. Even after more than 100 animal remains were discovered there, experts discouraged their research
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