Archaeologists Discover Well-Preserved Greco-Roman Era Mummy With Gold Mask In Egypt (Photos)



Two weeks ago, researchers found a “void” inside the Great Pyramid of Giza that could be a hidden chamber. Now we get another exciting ancient Egyptian discovery, this time a sarcophagus containing an incredibly well-preserved mummy wearing a gold mask. After seven years of excavations, the unbelievable discovery was unveiled by Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities on Tuesday.

The mummy was excavated by a joint Egyptian-Russian archaeological team approximately 50 miles south of Cairo. Experts believe the mummy and sarcophagus date back to between 332 B.C. to 395 A.D. during the Greco-Roman era. The wooden coffin the mummy was housed in was broken in several places and inscriptions had faded away. However, the mummy itself was well-preserved thanks to being wrapped in linen. The face was covered by a mask with art in traditional colors of blue and gold, also decorated with a scene depicting an Egyptian god of the sky. On the mummy’s chest is a painting of Isis, one of the oldest goddesses of ancient Egypt.

Mohamed Abdellatif, the assistant to the minister of antiquities and the head of the Coptic and Islamic Antiquities Sector, said in a statement that emergency conservation work had to be done in order to preserve the mummy before it was to be transported to a storage area in the provincial capital of Fayoum. Then the mummy would be subjected to further examinations and restoration. Egypt’s antiquities ministry shared photos of the unbelievable discovery.

[Sputnik]