MUMMY-MIA
Live-streamed sarcophagus opening reveals a mummified Egyptian high priest surrounded by gold
It's the first time a sarcophagus has been opened live on the web
THE OPENING of an Ancient Egyptian tomb has been broadcast live on telly in a world first event.
A mummified high priest was found inside the grave alongside a treasure trove of gold and other artefacts.
6
It was filmed for 'Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live', a Discovery show that aired from the site outside Minya, south of Cairo and its Giza pyramids.
The tomb is part of a network of tombs and tunnels containing 40 mummies believed to be part of Ancient Egypt's noble elite.
As thousands watched around the globe, a team of several people cracked open the sarcophagus to reveal its mysterious contents.
Inside was an amazingly well-preserved linen-wrapped mummy surrounded by treasure including gold.
6
6
"I can't believe this, this is incredible," said Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister.
He hosted the live show with American explorer Josh Gates, who said the mummy was that of a high priest of Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom and magic.
"Toward the end of Ancient Egypt, the power really was with the high priests and you can see this... almost feels like a royal burial," Gates said.
Also found was the tomb of an Egyptian musician who was buried alongside 50 mummified pets has been discovered by archaeologists.
It was built for a man named Tutu and his wife, though their remains are mysteriously missing from the finely painted site.
6
The couple died 2,500 years ago and clearly had a fondness for animals.
They were buried with around 50 mummified creatures, including mice, ibis and falcons, presumably as part of a lavish burial ceremony.
Paintings strewn across the tomb's walls depict funeral processions and images of the owner working in the fields, as well as his family history written in hieroglyphics.
Mostafa Waziri, a top boss at Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the burial chamber as a "beautiful, colourful tomb".
6
"The tomb is made up of a central lobby, and a burial room with two stone coffins. The lobby is divided in two", he said.
"It shows images of the owner of the burial room, Tutu, giving and receiving gifts before different gods and goddesses".
"We see the same thing for his wife, Ta-Shirit-Iziz, with the difference that (we see) verses from a book, the book of the afterlife," he added.
The two bodies were not in their sarcophagi in the chamber.
However, their likeness was painted across the walls of the tomb, a common practice in ancient Egypt.
The woman, whose name is unknown, was presumably a musician as she's portrayed playing a rattle-like instrument called a sistrum.
The burial chamber was found alongside seven others at an ancient cemetery south of Cairo.
They were discovered in the area last October, when authorities found smugglers digging illegally for artefacts.
6
Three were opened during a live streamed event run by American channel Discovery on Sunday.
One contained the well-preserved mummy of a powerful priest, wrapped in linen and decorated with a golden figure depicting Isis, an ancient Egyptian goddess.
At the burial site in Minya province, the team also found a rare wax head. "I never discovered in the late period anything like this," team member Zahi Hawass said.
Excavation at the ancient site is continuing.
"I really believe that this site needs excavation maybe for the coming 50 years," Hawass told Reuters a day before the sarcophagi were opened. He expects more tombs to be found there.
In 1927, a huge limestone sarcophagus was found in the area and placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, but the site was then forgotten, Hawass said.
But two years ago an unauthorised digger was found at the site and stopped, he said. That's what alerted archaeologists and excavation began.
TOP STORIES IN SCIENCE
If you enjoyed this story, you might also like these:
Mystery skeleton of girl, 13, found ‘squatting’ next to bull skulls in ancient Egyptian pyramid.
Ancient Egyptians thought ‘holy POO’ from dung beetles held secret to immortality.
What else do you think they'll find in the Egyptian tombs? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Topics