The ancient burial ground of Saqqara has forever been a centre of mystery for the world but the latest discovery of a cat cemetery has caught everyone in wonder. Saqqara is a widespread ancient burial ground in Egypt.
Saqqara features several pyramids including the world famous step-pyramid of Djoser. The space remained significant for non-royal burials for more than 3,000 years. Recently three tombs filled with cat mummies have been found in Saqqara paving the opportunity for discoveries ahead. Dozens of cat mummies and mummified scarabs beetles have also been found from the location in Cairo.
The mummified cats called ‘Bastet’ were considered as goddesses within the Egyptian civilization.
The cat goddess ‘Bastet’ was a goddess in the Egyptian religion. Bastet was considered as the protector of the other mummies. She first appears in the first millennium BC where she is depicted as a fierce lioness who converts into a benign cat. Cats were revered in the Egyptian civilization because of their ability to keep rodents and rats far from food supplies. Cats in royal households wore gold jewelry and ate from their owner’s plates.
Amulets, jars and scarab mummies have also been unearthed. Mummification was an age old practice in the Egyptian civilization where human or animal bodies were preserved after their death. The Egyptians held that the mummification enabled for the souls of the loved ones during the afterlife. There were different reason to mummify animals and people including preservation or offering. The discovery of the mummified cats and a host of other goods has inspired people across the world to delve deeper into the mysteries of Egypt.
