The statues and mummies resided in a 4,500-year-old tomb at Saqqara, a large burial ground that served the ancient capital of Memphis.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the team of archaeologists found seven sarcophagi at the King Userkaf pyramid complex. Three sarcophagi held the mummified remains of cats, which are known to have been revered by the ancient Egyptians, both in life and in the afterlife. One of the statues was of bronze and was dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet.

Waziri was particularly impressed with the mummified scarabs, which were found inside a small sarcophagus that had been decorated with paintings of the large black beetles. The ancient beetle was of prime religious significance in Egypt in ancient times. The scarab was often thought to symbolize the sun god, Ra.

The find also included statues of a cow, a falcon, and a lion and hundreds of amulets, jars, and writing tools. The statues and mummies date to thousands of years ago.

Archaeologists also found the tomb of a man named Khufu-Imhat, who was an overseer of buildings in the royal palace, and the names of two ancient women engraved on a door.