Egyptian archaeologists found dozens of cat mummies and a tomb dating to the Fifth Dynasty - ruling in the early 25th century BC - on the edge of the King Userkaf pyramid complex in Saqqara, south of Cairo.
The mummy was found along with approximately 100 cat statues made of gilded wood, as well as a bronze statue dedicated to the cat goddess, Bastet.
In ancient Egyptian culture, cats had a special position and were often mummified as part of funeral ceremonies.
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Meanwhile, Mohammed Youssef, director of the Saqqara website, said the tomb found had never been opened at all.
"These tombs date from the Fifth Dynasty and their shape is unusual because the front and the door are connected to each other. This means that the contents of the tomb have not been touched. Experts plan to open this tomb in the next few weeks," he explained.
Egypt's fifth dynasty itself came to power in 2,500-2,350 BC not long before the great pyramids of Giza were built.
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Apart from cat mummies and tombs, archaeologists have also found several other ancient artifacts. Among them, the mummified beetles in the seven sarcophagi tombs, wooden statues gilded with lions, cows and eagles, wooden sarcophagi containing mummies along with cobras, and two wooden sarcophagi that are shaped like crocodiles.
According to archaeologists, the finds are more than 6,000 years old.
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