Recent study: Oldest pet cemetery is located in Egypt

CAIRO – 9 March 2021:  Ancient-Origins website sheds light on an Egyptian cemetery of animals previously discovered in Berenice, on the Red Sea coast. The history of the cemetery dates back about 2000 years.

The study exposes that after close examination of the Egyptian animal cemetery, it became clear that they are the oldest pet cemetery in the world. It was discovered by archaeologist Marta Usibenska and her colleagues at the Polish Academy of Sciences in 2011.

The skeletal remains of pets in Ancient Egypt - Ancient Origins

A research paper published in the Journal of World Archeology stated that the pet cemetery was in operation from the middle of the first century to the middle of the second century AD.

The Romanians used to take advantage of the port of Berenice to trade ivory, fabrics and other luxury goods with people from India, Arabia and Europe.

Imported resources were important to keeping people, and their pets, alive on this site. Mice are expected to be located in the place where you store goods, and this means that cats and dogs are very useful creatures, as they are working animals. Dogs that are larger in size may also have worked to protect homes and other buildings.

The assumption that this is the world's oldest pet cemetery is based on an analysis of 585 tombs discovered to date. Most of the graves were made for cats, although researchers also state that they have found dogs.