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History & Heritage

2.4.2021

A Peek into the Past: Archaeologists Discover Multiple Mummies with Gold Tongues

The discovery of sixteen mummies has been announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, which are notable thanks to the objects that were entombed with them 2,000 years ago.

According to the Ministry, an Egyptian-Dominican team has just unearthed a remarkable find. West of Alexandria, the team has discovered sixteen tombs containing several mummies, which contained “amulets wrapped in gold leaf in the shape of a tongue” in the mouth. The mummies are estimated to be around 2,000 years old, according to authorities.

The technique and tradition was widely used in Greek and Roman times, to ensure that the dead could speak in the afterlife

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Egypt: Researchers restore the hieroglyphics of a 2000 year old temple

Two Finds of Interest Draw Attention Amongst Egyptologists

Two of the mummies have caused particular excitement, following the announcement of special adornments that were found on the bodies. One mummy had preserved strips of the bandages – strips of layers of linen glued, stuccoed and painted that envelop the mummy – gilded in the form of an effigy of Osiris, the god of the dead. The second was found with a crown adorned with “horns and a cobra at the place of the forehead, as well as a necklace in the shape of a falcon head”, representing the Egyptian god Horus, the mythical son of Isis and Osiris. 

Among the other items discovered were a female funeral mask, a golden tiara, and eight marble masks with sculpted details. 

In fact, the mission has been searching for the tomb of Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt who ruled until 30 BCE. But the team was certainly happy to have discovered this rare find along the way. 

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The tomb of Qasr Al-Farid, an archaeological mystery in the Saudi desert

Published on 4 February 2021

#archaeology