Saqqara, the vast cemetery of ancient Memphis south of Cairo, has become one of the most exciting excavation sites in the world. Over the past few years Egyptian teams have announced a string of discoveries there, from sealed coffins to gilded mummies, and work is still going on. Here is a summary of the most important finds so far.
Djoser or Step Pyramid the first pyramid built in Egypt, Saqqara, Egypt, AfricaThe tomb of Wahtye
In 2018 archaeologists opened the tomb of Wahtye, a royal priest of the 5th Dynasty, sealed for about 4,400 years. Its walls are covered with brightly colored scenes and dozens of statues of the owner and his family. It is now open to visitors, and its story was told in a well-known documentary.
Hundreds of sealed coffins
From 2020, excavations at the Bubasteion area uncovered deep burial shafts holding hundreds of painted wooden coffins from the Late Period, many still sealed, along with statues and amulets. Some were opened in front of the press, revealing well-preserved mummies.
Animal mummies
Saqqara has also given up large numbers of animal mummies: cats, cobras, crocodiles, birds and even rare mummified lion cubs, offerings to the gods made in their thousands.
Tombs, workshops and gilded mummies
Later announcements included the funerary temple of a queen near the pyramid of Teti, embalming workshops where bodies were prepared, and in 2023 tombs from the Old Kingdom with a mummy covered in gold leaf, among the oldest complete mummies found in Egypt.
Visiting Saqqara
Some newly discovered tombs open to visitors after conservation, and the list changes over time. Your Egyptologist will know what is open when you visit. Read our guide to Saqqara and the Step Pyramid, and see it on our Cairo day tours.
