8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The largest embalming cache ever found in Egypt unearthed at Abusir

Archaeologists from the Czech Institute for Egyptian Science have discovered a cache of artifacts related to the practice of Egyptian mummification during excavations inside a group of burial wells dating back to the era of the 26th Dynasty.

The location of this discovery is located in the western part of Abu Sir cemetery, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced.

Mummification was an important part of the rituals for the dead in Ancient Egypt, involving the preservation of the body to ensure the departed was welcomed into the afterlife. The Ancient Egyptians thought that when a person died, the soul, ka, which signified life, left the body. Only if the corpse is properly embalmed will the ka return, allowing them to live in the afterlife eternally.

A cluster of some of more than 370 large vessels discovered within the embalming deposit of a certain Wahibre-mery-Neith.
A cluster of some of more than 370 large vessels was discovered within the embalming deposit of a certain Wahibre-mery-Neith. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

The cache was found inside a huge well measuring 5.3 x 5.3 meters, and more than 14 meters deep, containing unique embalming materials, consisting of 370 large-sized pottery vessels divided into 14 groups.

Each set contains from seven to 52 pots, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri explained.

He added that these pots contain remnants of materials that were used during the mummification process.

A heart-shaped vessel from the embalming deposit of Wahibre-mery-Neith
A heart-shaped vessel from the embalming deposit of Wahibre-mery-Neith. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

The researchers have identified ceramic vessels, containing the remnants of materials used in the mummification process, in addition to four empty limestone Canopic jars engraved with hieroglyphic texts that name an individual called ‘Wahibre’. According to the texts inscribed on them, the canopic jars belonged to a certain Wahibre-mery-Neith, son of the Lady Irturu.

Director of the mission to Abusir, Prof. Miroslav Bárta notes that “The season of 2021 was part of a long term project aiming at excavation and interpretation of monuments dating to a period when Ancient Egyptian society was looking for new means how to maintain their unique identity which was challenged by the Greek, the Persian and the Nubian armies”. The shaft tombs of Abusir, built in a similar fashion like the famous burial of Djoser, founder of the Old Kingdom, played a major role in a unique way of cultural expression by the Egyptian elites of the period.”

The shaft of the largest embalming deposit discovered in Abusir during the excavation works of the Czech Institute of Egyptology
The shaft of the largest embalming deposit was discovered in Abusir during the excavation works of the Czech Institute of Egyptology. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

“Although a number of dignitaries of this name are known from this period, none of them can be identified as the owner of these canopic jars, as different mothers are attested for all of them. Judging from the size of the embalming deposit and, mainly, from the dimensions and arrangement of the nearby tomb, the owner of the tomb (and of the deposit) must have belonged to the highest dignitaries of his time, together with his closest neighbours in the cemetery – the famous admiral Udjahorresnet and general Menekhibnekau,” Prof. Ladislav Bareš, one of the leading experts on the period, said.

Deputy Director of the Czech mission, Mohamed Megahed confirmed that during 2022, archaeological excavations will continue in the area.

At the same time, studies and analysis of the contents of the pottery vessels will be started using modern scientific methods.

The excavations of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University are supported by the Charles University Progres and Cooperation programs, the KREAS project (OPVVV), and the VEG  of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Czech Institute of Egyptology, https://cegu.ff.cuni.cz/en/2022/02/09/the-largest-embalming-cache-ever-found-in-egypt-unearthed-at-abusir/

Related Articles

Restoration of Türkiye’s 2,000-year-old King’s Daughter Roman bath nears completion

1 August 2023

1 August 2023

The 2,000-year-old Roman bathhouse Basilica Therma or King’s Daughter in Türkiye’s central Yozgat province is nearing the final stages of...

Copious Copper Supplies Made Cyprus a Trading Center in the Bronze Age

23 March 2023

23 March 2023

Cyprus was a surprisingly busy trading hub during the early period of international trade in the Mediterranean region. Its awe-inspiring...

A Gold Belt Weighing 432 Grams Unearthed During Excavations in Ani Ruins is on Display

2 July 2024

2 July 2024

The gold belt discovered 22 years ago during excavations in the ancient city of Ani, often referred to as the...

Four-face ivory dice found at Keezhadi excavation site in India

18 February 2022

18 February 2022

The Tamil Nadu Archaeological department along with the Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed rectangular ivory dice,  in the excavation...

A Female Elite Tomb in a Yellow Silk Cloak from the Pre-Mongolian Period Discovered in Mongolia

13 August 2024

13 August 2024

A recent archaeological excavation in Mongolia’s Dornod Province revealed an elite tomb embedded in the walls of an abandoned fortress...

Sculpted Ancient Warrior Wearing A Serpent Helmet Found At Chichén Itzá

14 November 2023

14 November 2023

In the Casa Colorada archaeological complex within the premises of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, a sculpture of an anthropomorphic face...

Interesting Social Dimensions of Rare Diseases Seen in the Bronze Age

10 March 2021

10 March 2021

When it comes to Rare Diseases, what almost all of us think of is that this disease has affected very...

Human remains found at prison sewer site are 4,500 years old in East Yorkshire

26 March 2024

26 March 2024

Archaeologists investigating the site of a new sewer to serve a jail being built at Full Sutton in East Yorkshire,...

5500-year-old pentagon structure found in North China

13 November 2021

13 November 2021

Archaeologists discovered the remnants of a pentagonal structure going back 5,500 years in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, north China. According to...

In southern Turkey, the remains of a Roman villa whose floor was decorated with geometrically patterned mosaics were unearthed during construction

13 July 2022

13 July 2022

Workers working to lay the foundation of a new building in the Defne district of Hatay, southern Turkey, by accident...

Recent Excavations in Spain Reveal 7th Century BCE Religious Structure, Showcasing Eastern Influences within Tartessian Culture

18 February 2025

18 February 2025

A research team led by the National University of Distance Education (UNED) has made an important archaeological discovery at the...

3,700-Year-Old Bronze Age Ceremonial Site Discovered in Derbyshire, in Northern England

23 March 2025

23 March 2025

In a remarkable revelation, archaeologists have uncovered that the Farley Moor stone, previously thought to be a solitary monument, is...

1,400-year-old coins found in a piggy bank in ancient city of Hadrianopolis

3 January 2024

3 January 2024

Archaeologists unearthed a collection of 10 coins believed to date back nearly 1,400 years, retrieved from what appears to be...

1,500-year-old feast mosaic found in Turkey

2 February 2022

2 February 2022

A 50-square-meter mosaic depicting an open-air feast dating back 1,500 years ago was unearthed during excavations in the ancient city...

3500-year-old menhir discovered in Mahbubabad, India

15 March 2022

15 March 2022

Six feet in height stone, also called a menhir, was found on the roadside of Ellarigudem, a hamlet of Beechrajupally...