Egyptian archaeologists and researchers recently uncovered a treasure trove of artifacts, including what may be the oldest and most intact mummy ever discovered.
A group of Egyptologists announced on Thursday the discovery of several ancient tombs in a pharaonic cemetery outside the capital Cairo. The mummy belonged to a man named Heka-shepes, who was sealed in a large rectangular limestone sarcophagus about 4,300 years ago, Zahi Hawass, director of the excavation, announced in a post on Instagram.
“The mummy was found covered in gold leaf … it may be the oldest and most complete mummy ever found in Egypt,” he said.
The find, dating from 2500 BC to 2100 BC, in the 5th and 6th dynasties of the Old Kingdom, is part of a year-long excavation near the Saqqara pyramids.
New discoveries were found under the ancient stone site called Gusr al-Madir. “I poked my head into the coffin to see what was inside: a beautiful mummy of a man completely covered in layers of gold,” Hawass told The Associated Press.
Also discovered: one tomb belonged to a 5th Dynasty priestess known as Khanumjaduf, while the other belonged to a palace official named Mary, who had the title of “Keeper of Secrets.”
Other important excavation finds include well-preserved statues, talismans, and sarcophagi.
Ancient Egyptian family plan found
Archaeologists also revealed several recent discoveries about 400 miles to the south — including a family burial plot dating back some 4,000 years.
The discovery of a burial site, discovered in the cemetery (or cemetery) of Dera Abul-Naga on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Luxor, is the first to be discovered from the 13th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, dating back to 1780 BC. According to Mustafa Waziri, Egyptologist and Secretary General of the Supreme Antiquities Council of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
“This is the first discovery of its kind,” Waziri said in a post on Instagram.
Fathi Yassin, Director General of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, said: “Discoveries at this site included a pink granite coffin weighing about 11 tons, which was inscribed with the name of a vizier named Ankhu, who lived during the reign of Sobkhotep II during the 13th Dynasty. did CBS News about the site.
“We’ve already discovered more than a thousand burial sites in Luxor, but this is the first time we’ve found one from the 13th dynasty,” Yassin said.
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Also discovered nearby was the “most important and oldest inhabited city” dating back to the Roman era, Waziri said in a post on Instagram. He also posted videos of the findings on Facebook and twitter.
The city, believed to be part of the ancient city of Thebes, along the Nile and inside Luxor, “is important because it shows us the lives of ordinary Egyptians at this time,” Yassin told CBS News.
Researchers digitally open an ancient Egyptian mummy
Another archaeological breakthrough was announced on Tuesday by Cairo University researchers. They describe in the journal Frontiers of Medicine how they “digitally” opened the mummy of a teenage boy from 300 BC using CT scans.
A team of scientists was able to shed new light on the boy’s social status by confirming the intricate details of the spells he received on his mummified body and the manner of his burial.
Archeological findings can help boost Egypt’s tourism
Ancient Egyptian discoveries are often used to boost the country’s tourism, which is a significant source of income for the North African country. Tourism suffered a slump after the political turmoil and violence that followed the 2011 Arab Spring revolution.
Egypt Independent reported in February 2021 that tourism, which accounts for about 12 percent of the country’s economy, was also hit hard by the outbreak of the coronavirus. The media reported last year that tourism has also been hampered by the war in Ukraine.
Contribution: Associated Press
Digging Deeper: Mummies, Other Ancient Finds, and Archaeology
Follow Mike Snyder on Twitter: @mikesnider.
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