Saqqara

• Archaeologists in Saqqara, Egypt have discovered a series of tombs dating from about 1,800 to 4,800 years ago, some of which contain colorful mummy masks.
• The colorful mummy masks, which would have been worn by the dead, probably date to the Roman period (29 B.C. to A.D. 641).
• The archaeologists also found a small statue showing Harpocrates, a Greek god that looks like a child who is associated with silence, riding a goose.
• The goose represents “an evil spirit over which the Divine Child triumphs”.

ABOUT SAQQARA

• Saqqara, also spelled Sakkara or Saccara, is an Egyptian village in the markaz (county) of Badrashin in the Giza Governorate, that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis.
• Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb.
  • Pyramid of Djoser is the oldest complete stone building complex known in history.
• Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.9 mi).