Archaeologists unearth Egyptian mummies with golden tongues
(CNN) — Archaeologists working at a burial site in Egypt have unearthed ancient mummies with golden tongues.
The
team, headed by Kathleen Martinez of the University of Santo Domingo in
the Dominican Republic, were working at the Taposiris Magna Temple in
western Alexandria when they discovered 16 burial shafts dating from the
Greek and Roman eras.
A number of "mummies in a poor state of preservation" were found inside the shafts, according to a Facebook post by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The
archaeologists discovered "remnants of gilded cartonnage" -- a case
made of tightly fitting layers of linen or papyrus glued together -- the
ministry said, as well "amulets of gold foil in the form of a tongue
that were placed in the mouth of the mummy." This, they believe, was a
special ritual to ensure the dead could speak to the court of the god
Osiris in the afterlife.
The finds were from the Greek and Roman eras, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
From Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Facebook
Martinez
singled out two of the mummies as the most significant among the find.
One bears gilded decorations showing Osiris, the god of the afterlife,
while the other wears a crown decorated with horns and a cobra snake on
the forehead. On its chest is a gilded decoration depicting a necklace,
from which hangs the head of a falcon, the symbol of the god Horus.
The discoveries were made at the Taposiris Magna Temple in western Alexandria.
From Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Facebook
Another
important find was a funeral mask for a woman, according to Dr Khaled
Abo El Hamd, director-general of the Ministry of Antiquities' Alexandria
section. He also highlighed eight golden flakes representing the leaves
of a golden wreath on a funeral mask, and eight marble masks dating
back to the Greek and Roman eras, which "show high craftsmanship in
sculpture and depiction of the features of its owners", the statement
said.
Greek king Alexander the Great of Macedon conquered Egypt in 332 BCE,
with control passing after his death to the Greek Ptolemy dynasty. In 30
BC, they succumbed to the Romans, who ruled until around 640 AD.
Over the past decade, archaeologists at the site have discovered several coins bearing the name and image of Queen Cleopatra VII
inside the temple walls. They have also uncovered parts of statues and
temple grounds that proved it was built by King Ptolemy IV, the ministry
said.
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