Archeologists Found 2,000 Mummified Sheep Heads in Egypt

VIVA – Archaeologists in Egypt have found more than 2,000 ancient mummified sheep heads left as offerings in a temple to the pharaoh Ramses II, the tourism and antiquities ministry said on Sunday.

The location of this discovery is about 435 kilometers south of Cairo. It is estimated that these findings date back more than 1,000 years from the Sixth Dynasty to the Sixth Age. So, it is estimated that some discoveries have an age of more than 4,300 years.

It turns out that archaeologists from the University of New York didn’t only find the head of an ancient sheep. They also found a group of mummified dogs, wild goats, cows, deer, and ostriches.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed the reason behind the abandonment of the mummies at the site. They believe that the mummies were left on the site to honor Ramses II about 1,000 years after his death.

Dr. Sameh Iskandar who is the head of the study also revealed that the array of rams and other animals are thought to be used for offerings during sheep worship in Abydus during the Bipidus period.

Iskandar also added that the archaeological team he led did not only find the mummies of these animals. Instead, they also found a large building with walls about five meters thick that is known to date back to the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.

The structure contained several statues, the tree remains, leather shoes, clothing, and papyrus. Iskandar hopes that this discovery can help to restore a sense of the ancient landscape of Abydos before the construction of the Temple of Ramses II.