Discovered 8 million mummies of dogs in the worship of ancient Egypt

Archaeologists discovered 8 million dog mummies at the grave honoring the ancient Egyptian dog god Anubis.

8 million mummies of dogs in the tomb of ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians worshiped the god of death with the head of a jackal named Anubis . They built temples and tombs right next to honor this god at Saqqara, a cemetery located in the ancient capital of Memphis of Egypt.

The mummies of dogs inside the tomb.(Photo: Live science)

Archaeologists discovered nearly 8 million adult dog and dog mummies inside the tomb of Anubis. Many mummies have decomposed or broken due to bandits and industrialists using them as fertilizer. Here they also found mummies of several other animals such as jackals, foxes, falcons, cats and mongoose.

Previously, French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan drew diagrams of two tombs of dog mummies in Memphis in 1897. However, the far smaller grave is inaccessible due to the sand covering and the effects of the battle. Earthquake in 1992. So Nicholson and his colleagues spent a lot of time studying the stone walls and mummies in the larger crypt.

"When you arrive at Saqqara now, you will see an attractive desert area with soaring pyramids and one or two outstanding monuments associated with animal worship," Live Science quoted Paul Nicholson, The lead researcher, Cardiff University, UK, said.

Tombs can be built in the 4th century BC. Its ceiling contains fossils of a vertebrate sea monster , dating back 48 million years. However, the fact that Egyptians have realized its existence during construction has not been clarified yet.

"It's a long, long tunnel. There is no natural light at the head of the tomb, if you want to go deeper, everything needs to be lit with lights , " Nicholson said.

The head and neck of dog mummies mature inside the crypt.(Photo: Live science)