4,300-year-old gold-covered mummy discovered in Egypt

Archaeologists have discovered a gold leaf-covered mummy in a sarcophagus that has remained unopened for 4,300 years.

The discovery was part of dozens of new archaeological finds unveiled by Egypt, including two ancient tombs at a Pharaonic necropolis near Cairo.

The artifacts, unearthed during a year-long excavation, were found beneath an ancient stone enclosure near the Pyramids of Saqqara and date to the fifth and sixth dynasties of the Old Kingdom, ranging from around 2500 BC to 2500 BC. to 2100 BC the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.

One of the tombs uncovered belonged to a Fifth Dynasty priest named Khnumdjedef, while the other larger tomb belonged to Meri, a palace official who bore the title of “keeper of secrets,” the ministry said.

Other important finds from the excavation are statues, amulets and a well-preserved sarcophagus.

Egypt’s most renowned archaeologist and excavation director, Zahi Hawass, unveiled the new finds from the stone enclosure known as Gisr al-Mudir.

“I stuck my head in to see what was inside the sarcophagus: a beautiful mummy of a man, completely covered in layers of gold,” Mr Hawass said.

The Saqqara site is part of a sprawling necropolis in Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famous Pyramids of Giza as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh.

The Memphis ruins were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in the 1970s.

Thursday’s revelation comes amid a spate of new discoveries announced by Egyptian authorities over the past week.

Near the southern city of Luxor, authorities said they had found dozens of New Kingdom-era burial sites dating from 1800 BC to 1800 BC. to 1600 BC

The ruins of an ancient Roman city were discovered nearby, it said.

In a separate announcement Tuesday, a group of Cairo University scientists revealed previously unknown details about a mummified teenager believed to be around 300 BC.

Using CT scans, the team of scientists were able to shed new light on the boy’s high social status, confirming the intricate details of the amulets placed in his mummified body and the type of burial he received .

Egypt often publicizes its ancient discoveries to attract more tourists, a major source of foreign exchange for the cash-strapped North African country.

The sector suffered a long downturn following the political unrest and violence that followed a 2011 uprising.

Egypt’s tourism industry has also been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and is suffering from the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.

Both Russia and Ukraine represented a large source of tourists visiting Egypt.

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