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Archaeologists have discovered that ancient Egyptian mummies possessed golden tongues two thousand years ago

author:Meng Xibai
Archaeologists have discovered that ancient Egyptian mummies possessed golden tongues two thousand years ago

According to Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egyptian archaeologists found the remains of several mummified bodies with gold tongues in an ancient cemetery near Quesna, about 56 kilometers north of Cairo and dated from 300 BC to 640 BC.

Some of the mummies were buried in wooden coffins, and the bones were also coated with gold glaze. Other funerary objects were found in the ancient cemetery: gold products in the shape of cockchafers and lotuses, funerary amuletes, pottery, remains of a humanoid wooden coffin and several copper nails, as well as glue and tar for embalming.

Archaeologists have discovered that ancient Egyptian mummies possessed golden tongues two thousand years ago

Gold was a popular material in ancient Egypt for ornaments for funerary ceremonies. The shimmering element is believed to be the flesh of the gods, especially the skin of the sun god, and is associated with the concept of eternity.

Mummies with golden tongues were popular during the Greco-Roman period, which lasted from about 332 BC, when Alexander the Great took over Egypt, to 395 AD, when the Roman Empire was last split in two. These mummies probably belong to different periods of the Greco-Roman period.

Archaeologists have discovered that ancient Egyptian mummies possessed golden tongues two thousand years ago

The golden tongue was a sign of funeral preparations in the late Greco-Roman period, when the golden tongue, and even the golden eye, was mounted on embalmed corpses. In ancient Egypt, embalmers would sometimes make tongues out of gold leaf and put them in the mouths of the deceased, enabling them to converse with Osiris, the god of the underworld in Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians believed that golden tongues and golden eyes were manifestations of the transformation of the dead into gods, and believed that the flesh of the gods was made of gold. During Greco-Roman times, the ancient Egyptians also believed that golden tongues and golden eyes would allow the dead to speak, see, and taste in the afterlife.

Archaeologists have discovered that ancient Egyptian mummies possessed golden tongues two thousand years ago

Mummies with golden tongues have also been found elsewhere in Egypt, including archaeological sites along the Mediterranean coast and more at archaeological sites located about 174 kilometers south of Cairo.

Excavations and analyses of the Quesna site are ongoing. It is unclear how many golden-tongued mummies were found, and whether the identity of the deceased is known.

Their golden tongues were clearly trying to convey something, but what we heard now was silence.

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