30 Fascinating Photos Of Treasures Found In Saqqara, An Ancient Egyptian Burial Ground

The Netflix documentary Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb followed a team of Egyptian archaeologists excavating the 4,500-year-old tomb of Wahtye, an Old Kingdom priest. The team uncovered various treasures such as animal mummies, wooden coffins, and statues, and pieced together an ancient mystery of what took place in the tomb. The excavation was significant because the team was entirely Egyptian, a far cry from the various foreign digs that raided the Egyptian landscape for museum exhibits in the past. But this well-documented example is far from the only breathtaking discovery to be made in Saqqara.

Saqqara is a relatively small patch of land in the Egyptian desert measuring roughly 7 by 1.5 km (4.35 by 0.93 mi). It was the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, serving as an ancient burial ground for generations of Egyptians. Burials, rituals, and various religious and cult ceremonies took place in Saqqara for a stretch of 3,000 years, from the Egyptian Old Dynasty all the way through Roman rule.