Gold-tongued mummies found in 2,000-year-old cemetery in Egypt, archaeologists say

An ancient cemetery in Egypt revealed a collection of mummies and golden funeral offerings with a very specific purpose, according to archaeologists.

Researchers excavating an archaeological site in Qewaisna found a new portion of the compound, an ancient cemetery with numerous burials, according to a Thursday, Nov. 24, news release from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The newly found structures were made of mud bricks, experts said. In one area, the structures formed two rooms, a main vault and a burial well. In another section, researchers found three burial chambers with vaulted ceilings. Photos show the partially collapsed walls.

Remains of structures at the ancient cemetery.
Remains of structures at the ancient cemetery.

The cemetery had burials from multiple different eras, Dr. Ayman Ashmawi said in the release. The oldest burials dated to the late Ptolemaic period, an era that ended in 30 B.C., while the newest burials dated to the Roman empire which ruled Egypt until 650 A.D.

Archaeologists discovered a number of mummies with gold tongues. These gold tongues were tongue-shaped golden ornaments placed in the mouths of the mummies, experts said. Photos show the oval-shaped gold pieces had a line through the center and a ring of circular indents around the edge.

These gold tongues were intended to help the dead speak with the Egyptian god of the underworld, Osiris, Smithsonian Magazine and BBC reported when similar gold tongues were found in 2021.

One of the gold tongues (bottom) next to other golden fragments found at the site.
One of the gold tongues (bottom) next to other golden fragments found at the site.

Mummies from the 2,000-year-old cemetery were in poor condition, Dr. Mustafa Waziri said in the release. However, under the linen wraps, some skeletons had bones glazed with gold.

The excavation also unearthed gold chips shaped like scarabs and lotus flowers along with funerary amulets, stone scarabs, and pottery vessels used during the mummification process, Professor Qutb Fawzi said in the release.

The archaeological site in Qewaisna, about 40 miles north of Cairo, is one of the most important in the region, experts said. Previous excavations at the site have uncovered rare buried birds and numerous tombs, notably one with a black granite coffin made for an important ancient priest.

Facebook Translate and Google Translate were used to translate the news release from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

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