image source, SN Saleem/SA Seddik/M el-Halwagy/PA Wire
A CT scan showed the mummy to be 128 cm tall, a male adolescent about 14-15 years old, and the exact cause of death is unknown.
CT scans of the 2,300-year-old “Golden Boy” mummy revealed striking images of 49 precious talismans hidden inside and on the mummy. according to the belief in the afterlife of the ancient Egyptians
A team of scientists from the University of Cairo in Egypt studied male juvenile mummies nicknamed “Golden Boy” for jewelry and other precious items found on their bodies. Mostly made of gold, such as the gold mask, this child is estimated to have been between 14 and 15 years old when he died because his wisdom teeth had not yet come out.
The mummy was discovered in a tomb in southern Egypt in 1916 and has been kept in the crypt of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo since.
The archaeologists said that The mummy was housed in a two-story sarcophagus, the first being a coffin with a Greek inscription. The second floor is an ancient wooden coffin.
image source, SN Saleem/SA Seddik/M el-Halwagy/PA Wire
The mummy was contained in a two-story coffin, the first being a coffin with Greek inscriptions. The second floor is an ancient wooden coffin.
“Digital dissection of the mummy’s shroud” using a CT scan revealed that the mummy contained 49 amulets of 21 different types, most of them made of gold, such as a pair of finger amulets that were placed next to the unprotected genitalia. Circumcised, a heart scarab made of gold was placed in the chest cavity. including the golden tongue that was placed in his mouth
In addition, the mummy also wore sandals. and also brought fern leaves to decorate all over the body
image source, SN Saleem/SA Seddik/M el-Halwagy/PA Wire
The mummy had 49 amulets, most of them made of gold, such as a pair of finger amulets placed next to the genitals.
Dr Zahar Saleem, who led the research team and professor at the Cairo University School of Medicine, said: “This mummy demonstrates a belief in death. and the afterlife of the ancient Egyptians of the Ptolemaic Empire.”
Dr. Saleem explains that the ancient Egyptians believed in the power of talismans that could help protect and have a positive effect on both the living and the dead, such as the golden tongue believed to allow the dead to speak in the afterlife. death The sandals were believed to help the deceased walk from the grave to the afterlife. The same goes for Tanjai beetles that are believed to help guide the deceased to the next world.
Although the researchers do not know exactly who this mummy is. But judging from the grave, it was assumed that he was from an aristocratic family. It also indicates that the ancient Egyptians valued their children. and arrange a ritual for the departed heir as well