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The Ancient Egyptian Mummies With Golden Tongues
Archaeologists have made a startling discovery that shines a light on part of Ancient Egyptian burial rituals
Ever since the discovery of Tutankhamen’s treasure-laden tomb in 1922, Ancient Egyptian archaeology has been linked with gold. This metal is known to have been used for everything from jewelry and weapons to death masks and funeral art.
However, archaeologists have now highlighted a relatively under-reported use of the precious metal in ancient times: to create tongues for mummies on their way to the afterlife.
Treasures from Taposiris Magna
In a statement published on Facebook by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, a team led by Dr Kathleen Martinez from the University of Santo Domingo explained that archaeologists had been conducting excavations at the temple of Taposiris Magna in western Alexandria when they uncovered 16 burials in rock-cut tombs.
Within these burial shafts were a number of mummies that were described as being in a “poor state of preservation.” Nevertheless, the researchers were able to examine the artefacts and find a number of historically important grave goods.
