Archaeologists reveal mummified cats and scarab beetles found in recently discovered tombs near Cairo.

Axar.az reports citing BBC that Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a collection of mummified cats and scarab beetles in a series of ancient tombs.

The finds, dating back more than 4,000 years, were made at Saqqara, south of Cairo. The vast burial ground served the city of Memphis - ancient Egypt's capital for 2,000 years.

Ancient Egyptians believed cats, and other animals, held a special position in the afterlife.

One of the tombs held a bronze statue dedicated to a cat goddess.

Scarabs also held religious significance and could symbolise the sun god, Ra. Mostafa Waziri, of Egypt's antiquities council, said the discovery of mummified scarabs was "something really a bit rare".