Hundreds of beautifully painted coffins were found at Saqqara's "Cemetery of Ancient Animals (Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Few countries can measure up to Egypt when it comes to fascinating archaeological discoveries. A collection of 250 beautifully painted sarcophagi with well-preserved mummies is the latest to make headlines. The 2500-year-old artifacts, unveiled on May 31, 2022, were unearthed at Saqqara's "Cemetery of Ancient Animals," near Cairo. The temple complex was dedicated to Bast, the Egyptian goddess of protection and the bringer of good health. It was the burial place of choice for affluent residents of Memphis, the capital city of the Old Kingdom of Egypt.

The excavation team, led by Mohamed Al Saidi, also found 150 bronze statues. Many represented Egyptian gods. The most exciting discovery was a one-of-a-kind, well-preserved papyrus roll. Experts believe it contains chapters from the "Book of the Dead," an ancient Egyptian funerary text.

"In one of the wooden coffins, we found, for the first time, a complete and sealed papyrus. Immediately, this papyrus was moved to the Egyptian museum for sterilization and in order to conduct the needed studies. said Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "I think this papyrus is similar to the ones that were discovered 100 years ago that talk about the Book of the Gates and the Book of the Dead."

The antiquities will be showcased at the Grand Egyptian Museum, scheduled to open near the Pyramids of Giza in November 2022. They are the latest in a string of exciting ancient artifacts found around Egypt.

Mummies with golden tongues were discovered in 2021 (Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities))

In February 2021, archeologists found 16 human burial chambers dating back 2000 years at the temple of Taposiris Magna in Alexandria. Two mummies had been fitted with gold tongues. The ancient Egyptians believed they would enable the deceased to talk to Osiris, the Egyptian god of the afterlife.

In March 2021, researchers unearthed a 5,000-year-old brewery — most likely the world's oldest — in the southern city of Sohag. The discovery of a 3,000-year-old "lost golden city" in Luxor was announced a month later.

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