Saqqara served as capital of Egypt, Saqqara remained in use as a burial ground for nobles. Moreover, the area became an important destination for pilgrims to a number of cult centres. Activities sprang up around the Serapeum, and extensive underground galleries were cut into the rock as burial sites for large numbers of mummified ibises, baboons, cats, dogs, and falcons. Saqqara and the surrounding areas of Abusir and Dahshur suffered damage by looters during the 2011 Egyptian protests. Store rooms were broken into, but the monuments were mostly unharmed. During routine excavations in 2011 at the dog catacomb in Saqqara necropolis,
Darenth Country Park research and store. In 1978, 'Dartford & District Archaeological Group' excavated a trench on the site, before a planning application was made by Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd. for chalk extraction on the site. This trench found an ancient Saxon burial ground (5th century), with 12 Saxon graves, as well as various artefacts (including a spearhead, brooches and a glass bowl) from the period. The glass bowl is now known as the 'Darenth bowl' (which is known to be dedicated to St. Rufinus of Soissons c.450 A.D.), is now in Dartford Borough Museum. The graves were then deemed important enough