Archaeology & History

Mummies with gold tongues unearthed in Egypt

By T.K. Randall
February 3, 2021 ·  1 comment

The tongues were intended to aid communication with Osiris. Image Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities The mummies were found in a series of rock-cut tombs in Alexandria's Taposiris Magna temple in northern Egypt by a team of archaeologists from Egypt and the Dominican Republic.

While the bodies themselves were poorly preserved, one thing stood out straight away - each of them had a golden 'tongue' (an amulet coated in gold foil) placed inside their mouths.

It is believed that the real tongues had been removed during the embalming process and replaced with the gold replicas as a way to help the deceased speak to Osiris - the Egyptian god of the underworld.Further depictions of Osiris were also found in various forms around the tomb.

In addition to the gold tongues, the team discovered other artefacts including the funeral mask of a woman, the remnants of a golden wreath and eight marble masks.

Coins bearing the image of Queen Cleopatra VII had previously been found there as well.


Source: BBC News | Comments (1)

Tags: Mummy, Egypt