Archaeologists have unearthed several ancient tombs with dozens of mummies, including some with golden tongues.
Researchers made these findings during excavations at the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus, a vast archaeological site located about 100 miles south-southwest of Cairo, near the modern-day municipality of Al -Bahnasa in Minya province.
Oxyrhynchus was “very important” during the Greco-Roman period of ancient Egypt, which lasted hundreds of years from the late 4th century BC until the 7th century, say co-directors Esther Pons Mellado and Maite Mascort. said the director of a Spanish archaeological mission at this site. Weekly .
“[It is Egypt’s second city after Alexandria. There are excellent cultural and business ties between these two cities,” they said.
Two of the mummies (left) and the golden tongue (right) were found during excavations at Egypt’s Oxyrhynchus archaeological site. Archaeologists unearthed dozens of mummies during excavations.
MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND EGYPTIAN ANTIQUES
The Greco-Roman period began with Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt—then controlled by the Persians—in 332 BC. An ancient Greek state known as the Ptolemaic Kingdom was then founded in 305 BC, ruled Egypt until 30 BC when the area was conquered by the Romans.
This territory became a province of the Roman Empire, eventually divided into western and eastern parts—with Egypt belonging to the latter. The Roman period ended around 641 AD when Arab forces conquered Egypt.
The latest excavations at Oxyrhynchus took place in November and December 2023. During the investigation, Pons Mellado, Mascort and colleagues discovered several tombs from the Greco-Roman period, as well as Human remains and artifacts.
The findings include two tombs dating from the Roman period, built of limestone blocks. In these tombs, archaeologists discovered more than 20 mummies wrapped in colorful wrappings, as well as papyri with Greek inscriptions and mud seals with Egyptian iconography.
Two of these mummies were discovered to have gold pieces shaped like human tongues placed in place of real tongues. Such golden tongues have previously been found at Oxyrhynchus and other archaeological sites in Egypt.
“So far we have found 16 golden tongues in Oxyrhynchus,” said Pons Mellado and Mascort.
Experts say that ancient Egyptians may have placed golden tongues on the remains of some people to help the souls of the deceased communicate with Osiris – the god of the underworld – and help them reach the next world. that.
“The Egyptians placed golden tongues on the tongue to restore vital functions to the dead and also so that the body would remain intact in the afterlife. For the Egyptians, gold was the flesh of the gods “, said Pons Mellado and Macort.
In addition to the Roman-era tombs, archaeologists also discovered three “hypogea” tombs – or underground tombs – dating from the Ptolemaic period that were unearthed beneath natural rock.
In this hypogea, researchers discovered several more mummies wrapped in colorful fabric, several human-shaped stone coffins (some of which were closed), and many terracotta statues. various depictions of the goddess Isis-Aphrodite, among other artifacts. This deity is a form of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with the fertility aspects associated with the Greco-Roman goddess Aphrodite.
At one of the hypogea, the team also found many decorated multicolored limestone blocks, including drawings depicting people, snakes, pigeons and plants.
Map showing the location of Al-Bahnasa in the Minya governorate of Upper Egypt. The area is home to the vast archaeological site of Oxyrhynchus—an ancient Egyptian city that was once the region’s prosperous capital.
“All of these findings are very important for the history of the funerary world of Oxyrhynchus,” said Pons Mellado and Macort.
“This is the first time we have found an Oxyrhynchus terracotta fragment depicting Isis-Aphrodite and also the first time this type of fragment has appeared in this region of Central Egypt. Decorated limestone blocks [are also important] important].”
The limestone blocks – another new discovery at Oxyrhynchus – appear to have come from some kind of construction, although the nature of the structure remains unclear.
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