2,300-yeаr-old mummy unveіled іn Egyрt

A superbly maintained 2,300-year-old mummy bearing a golden mask and covered in brightly colored images of gods and goddesses was unveiled Tuesday at Egypt’s Saqqara Pyramids complex south of Cairo.

2,300-yeаr-old mummy unveіled іn Egyрt

The unidentified mummy, from the 30th pharaonic dynasty, had been closed in a wooden sarcophagus and buried in sand at the bottom of a 20-foot shaft before being discovered recently by an Egyptian-led archaeological team.

“We have revealed what may be the most beautiful mummy ever found in Egypt,” Zahi Hawᴀss, chief of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said as he helped excavators remove the sarcophagus’ lid to show off the find.

Hawᴀss said experts will use CT scanning technology within the next week to reveal more details about the ancient Egyptian’s idenтιтy and he had lived and died.

Afterward, the mummy will be displayed at Saqqara’s museum of ImH๏τep, the famed architect who designed the Stepped Pyramid — Egypt’s oldest.

The mummy, found two months ago, was covered from head to toe in brightly colored cartonage burial material depicting a range of graphic scenes, including the Goddess Maat of balance and truth who was shown with outstretched arms that took the shape of feathered wings.

Also shown were the four children of the falcon-headed god, Horus, and the rituals and processes to mummify the person, who Hawᴀss believed must have been wealthy considering his burial location and fine gold used for the mummy’s mask.

“The artists who made this mummy more than 2,000 years ago demonstrated the brilliance of the ancient Egyptians by using stunning colors and depicting his face so graphically,” Hawᴀss said.

The mummy had been buried within the necropolis of King Teti, a funerary area containing scores of burial chambers, false doors that ancient Egyptians said the souls of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ would use to leave their tombs, and temples.

The necropolis is built alongside the collapsed pyramid of Teti, who ruled during ancient Egypt’s 6th dynasty, more than 4,300 years ago.  Hawᴀss said a “lost” pyramid had been located in the Saqqara area and would be uncovered after two months.

Saqqara, located about 12 miles south of Cairo, is one of Egypt’s most popular tourist sites and hosts a collection of temples, tombs and funerary complexes.

Related Posts

The Eternal Queen: The Mummy of Pharaoh’s Daughter and the Golden Sandals of Egypt

In the soft, golden light of the Cairo Museum, a glᴀss case cradles the face of a woman who once ruled the living world and now reigns…

Whispers from the Earth: The 8,000-Year-Old Child of Siberia

In the silent depths of Siberia’s frozen soil, archaeologists have unearthed a secret that slept for millennia — the mummified remains of a child, preserved by time…

The Well of Barhout: Where Legend Meets the Abyss

In the desolate, sun-scorched expanse of Yemen’s Al-Mahra desert, the earth opens its mouth. This is the Well of Barhout, a colossal sinkhole plunging into profound darkness,…

The Monumento a la Patria: A Stone Chronicle of a Nation’s Soul

On the elegant, tree-lined Paseo de Montejo in Mérida, a symphony of stone rises from the earth, a modern monument that speaks in an ancient tongue. The…

The Timeless Geometry of the Inca Walls

Hidden high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, the ancient city of Cusco—once the capital of the Inca Empire—holds within its stones a mystery that has fascinated…

The Feathered Serpent Altar at Chichén Itzá – A Legacy of the Ancient Maya Civilization

General Introduction In the early 20th century, deep within the tropical forests of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, archaeologists from the Carnegie Insтιтution of Washington (USA) uncovered a finely…