Mummies with Gold Tongues Unearthed at Ancient Egyptian Cemetery

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Egypt is filled with artifacts dating back to ancient times. Recently, several mummies adorned with gold tongues were uncovered at a site that’s been excavated for decades. While the reason why is unknown, archaeologists believe it might have something to do with the dead’s ability to speak once in the afterlife.

The Ancient Egyptian mummies, which are believed to date back to the Greco-Roman Period, were unearthed in Quesna, about 35 miles north of Cairo. Announcing the discovery via Facebook on November 24, 2022, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed the mummies, some of which were within wooden coffins, were found in an extension of the Qwaisana Archaeological Compound.

A number of goods were discovered with the mummies, including necklaces and pottery. Gold artifacts carved into the shapes of lotus flowers and scarabs were also uncovered. What’s most interesting about this recent discovery, however, is that the mummies were found with gold tongues. Some also featured a gold glaze on their bones, directly beneath their linens.

It’s believed the mummies’ actual tongues were removed during the embalming process and replaced with the metal plates, a common practice between 300 BCE and 640 CE. Speaking with Live Science, Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, said gold-leaf tongues were a “hallmark of the later Greco-Roman period funerary preparations, when golden tongues, and sometimes even ‘eyes,’ were placed on embalmed bodies.”
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2022/12/ ... &firefox=1