Accordingly, the ancient factories and tombs revealed by the authorities on May 27 are located in a large Pharaoh cemetery outside the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said clay pots and other items used to embalm human and sacred animals were also found at the site in Saqqara, part of Egypt's ancient capital Memphis.
“We have discovered the largest mummification facility for both humans and one for animals,” Mr. Waziri added at a press conference on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archaeologists have also discovered many tombs dating from the Fifth Dynasty 4.400 years ago, decorated with "everyday scenes" and images of harvest and cultivation.
The above workshops and tombs are believed to date from the 30th pharaoh dynasty (380 BC to 343 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (305 BC to 30 BC).
The animal embalming workshop is made of mud and stone floors along with bronze tools that can be used in the mummification process. Five beds made of stone were discovered still lying inside the room, which was used to mummify the most sacred animals.
Sabri Farag, head of the Saqqara archaeological site, said one of the tombs belonged to "Ne Hesut Ba", the chief scribe and priest of Horus and Maat during the fifth dynasty around 2400 BC.
He said the second tomb belonged to a Qadish priest named "Men Kheber" from the 18th dynasty (circa 1400 BC).
The 'Old Kingdom' tombs for humans were discovered bearing the names of the dead and their wives.
Inside the tombs of the 'New Kingdom', dating from the 1500s BC, were discovered plaster statues of the owners of the tombs still intact inside, with blue hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The discovery of an unusual set of ceramic pots in February at the Saqqara necropolis sheds light on how the ancient Egyptians mummified bodies.
According to the study, chemical residues found in the vials allowed the researchers to identify a mixture of aromatic oils or disinfectants, tar, and tree sap.
This, consistent with the writing on the outside of the container, gave researchers new insights into specific materials used in the embalming process, such as dammar tree resin and elemi oil, which are native to tropical forests in Asia and Africa.
In recent years, the Egyptian government has repeatedly announced new archaeological finds to the international media and diplomats. They hope that such discoveries will help attract more tourists to the country to revive an industry hit by political turmoil following the 2011 uprisings.
According to NBCNews
