'May be the oldest and most complete mummy found in Egypt to date': Egyptologists

Archaeologists in Egypt on Thursday unveiled dozens of new discoveries, including two ancient tombs, at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside of the capital Cairo. One of the tombs could contain what might be the oldest and most complete mummy yet to be discovered in the country, reported AP citing the excavation team leader. The 4300-year-old mummy was found at the bottom of a 15-metre shaft in a recently uncovered group of fifth and sixth dynasty tombs near the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Zahi Hawass, director of the team, told reporters.

The mummy, of a man named Hekashepes, was in a limestone sarcophagus that had been sealed in mortar. "This mummy may be the oldest and most complete mummy found in Egypt to date," Hawass, one of Egypt's former ministers of antiquities, said in a statement on Thursday, reported AP. One of the uncovered tombs belonged to a priest from the fifth dynasty known as Khnumdjedef, while the other tomb belonged to an official named Meri, a palace official who held the title of “the keeper of the secrets,” the team said. It was decorated with scenes of daily life. 

Hawass had personally unveiled the new discoveries from the stone enclosure, known as Gisr al-Mudir. “I put my head inside to see what was inside the sarcophagus: A beautiful mummy of a man completely covered in layers of gold,’′ Hawass said. Other major findings from the excavation included statues, amulets, and a well-preserved sarcophagus. 

A flurry of new discoveries in Egypt

Thursday’s unveiling comes amid a flurry of new discoveries announced by Egyptian authorities over the past week, reported AP. Near the southern city of Luxor, authorities found dozens of burial sites from the New Kingdom era, dating from 1800 B.C. to 1600 B.C. Discovered nearby were the ruins of an ancient Roman city.

In a separate announcement on Tuesday, a group of scientists from Cairo University revealed previously unknown details about a mummified teenage boy dating to about 300 B.C. By using CT scans, the team of scientists were able to shed new light on the boy’s high social status by affirming the intricate details of the amulets inserted within his mummified body and the type of burial he received.

These announcements may boost the tourism industry in Egypt which was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and is currently suffering from the fallout from the war in Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine formerly comprised a large source of tourists visiting Egypt.

(with AP inputs)