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‘Golden Boy’ Mummy Reveals Its Secrets – Teen Was Buried 2,300 Years Ago

Researchers from Cairo University used CT scans to “digitally unwrap” a mummy which had been discovered more than 100 years ago in a cemetery at Nag el-Hassay in the south Egypt. Scientists have discovered a 2,300-year-old teenager who belonged to an upper social class – after being buried with 49 precious amuletsmany of which were made by gold and were carefully placed on or inside the child’s body.

Among the talismans that stand out are one with two fingers next to the penis, a golden heart scarab placed inside the chest cavity and a golden tongue inside the mouth, while many other elements revealed by the CT scan reflect the customs and beliefs of the Ptolemaic Egyptians. period regarding death and what follows. The boy was dressed in garlands of ferns and wore sandals.

The ‘Golden boy’ mummy was placed inside two coffins – an outer coffin with Greek inscription and an internal wooden one. Apart from the heart, his internal organs had been cut out, while the brain had been removed from the nose and replaced with resin. CT scans showed the boy was 1.28m tall, between 14 and 15 years old, had good teeth and no obvious known cause of death.

The Ancients Egyptians believed that when a man dies his spiritual body seeks an afterlife, similar to this world. However, the transition to this life was not guaranteed, since one had to be preceded first dangerous journey in the underworld and a judgment process for the deceased. For this reason, relatives and embalmers in Ancient Egypt did everything they could to ensure that departed loved ones would make it to successfully to their destination.

Amulets represent a wide spectrum Egyptian beliefs. For example, a gold sheet of tongue was placed inside the mouth to ensure that the boy could speak in the afterlife, while a right-angled talisman was meant to bring balance.

“Here we show the extensive adornment of this mummy consisting of 49 amulets, beautifully arranged in a unique arrangement of three columns, either between the folds of the cloth or within the body cavities. These include the Eye of Horus, the scarab, the Aket amulet of the horizon, the Knot of Isis, etc. Many are made of gold, and others of semi-precious stones, clay or faience.

Their purpose was to protect the body in the afterlife, giving it vitality,” explains Dr. Sahar Salim, author of the study published in Frontiers in Medicine and professor at the Medical School of Cairo University and is broadcast by Daily mail.


Source: News Beast

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