Friday March 29th, 2024
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Nearly Eight Million Mummified Animals Unearthed in Egypt

Saqqara saw the discovery of 8 million animals mainly dogs in catacomb near Anubis Temple dating back to roughly 750 to 30 B.C

Staff Writer

In ancient Egypt, the Jackal headed God of Death who overlooked the process of mummification and the afterlife was one of the most iconic Gods of Ancient Egypt. The realisation of the importance of Anubis has been revealed with the discovery of 8 million animals, mostly dogs, near the Temple of Anubis.

According to a study reported by the Discovery News Website, the mummified dogs were discovered in a 173 by 140 meters catacomb. According to the report the catacomb’s ceiling contains “the fossil of an ancient sea monster, a marine vertebrate that’s more than 48 million years old”. It is unclear whether or not the Egyptians knew of the fossil when they were building the tomb for the mummified animals. Other animals included hawks, bulls and baboons.

The discovery is said to show the presence of a thriving community, "We're very pleased and somewhat surprised by the results," the project's director Paul Nicholson from Cardiff University's School of History, Archaeology and Religion said Saturday. "We hadn't expected that there would be so many animals, and it opens up a new series of questions."

Archaeologists believe that in mummifying the dogs it is a means of showing good faith to the God Anubis.