Archaeologists have made a number of new discoveries at the Saqqara Tombs in the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, including a 4300 year old gold covered mummy. The mummy, the remains of a man named Hekashepes, was found in a sealed stone sarcophagus at the bottom of a 33 meter well.
Egypt’s famous former minister of antiquities Zahi Hawass, said, “I poked my head inside to see what was inside the sarcophagus, and I saw a beautiful mummy of a man completely covered in layers of gold.”
While some news outlets say the discovery is the oldest known Egyptian mummy, this claim is not true. Hawass says it is “the oldest complete mummy covered in gold.”
In addition to the layers of gold around him, the mummy wore a band around his head and a bracelet on his chest, symbolizing that he was a very rich man, Hawass said.
Egyptologist Francesco Tiradritti of the Kore University of Enna in Italy, who was not involved in the excavations, says he also wore a belted tunic, perhaps an “ancient attempt to preserve the living appearance of the deceased.” Such a situation could offer new insights into the religious beliefs of the time.
Other tombs have also been discovered in the area. “One belonged to a priest named Khnumdjedef, another to a judge and writer named Fetek, and another to a priest who may have been named Messi. Another belonged to a royal official named Meri, who bore the title “keeper of secrets”.
“This discovery is very important because it connects us with the people who lived around the kings,” said Ali Abu Deshish, another archaeologist involved in the excavation.
The finds all date to the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of the Old Kingdom (approximately 2500 to 2100 BC). In addition to mummies, the excavations also uncovered statues, wall paintings, amulets, tools and pottery. Hawass is particularly interested in the variety of sculptures uncovered during the excavation, as they shed light on the art of the Old Kingdom.
The new finds follow several other Egyptian archaeological discoveries announced in recent weeks, including new scans of the 2300 year old mummy of the “Golden Child” and the hiding places of 2500 year old mummified crocodiles.