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Archeologists find oldest and ‘most complete’ mummy wrapped in gold leaf

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The mummy, lain in a chamber undisturbed for 4,300 long years, was found covered in gold leaf.

Archeologists believe that they have uncovered probably the oldest and 'most complete' mummy to be discovered in Egypt till date. The mummy, which was lain within a chamber undisturbed for 4,300 years, was found covered in gold leaf at the time of excavation.

The 4,300-year-old mummified remains were uncovered recently during ongoing excavations of tombs near the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, around 24 km from Cairo. Two other tombs were also found at the site.

Archeologists find oldest and ‘most complete’ mummy wrapped in gold leaf

Oldest mummy in gold

This mummy is believed to be that of a man called Hekashepes. The mummy was covered in gold leaf and sealed inside a stone coffin known as sarcophagus. Opened after 4,300 years, the mummy is believed to be one of the oldest and most complete non-royal corpses ever found in Egypt.

Egypt's most renowned archaeologist and director of the excavation, Zahi Hawass, personally unveiled the new discoveries from the stone enclosure, known as Gisr al-Mudir, as per an agency report.

"I put my head inside to see what was inside the sarcophagus: A beautiful mummy of a man completely covered in layers of gold,'′ Hawass said according to the report.

A priest and a 'secret keeper' too

Dozens of archeological discoveries were made. The artefacts, unearthed during a year-long excavation, were found beneath an ancient stone enclosure near the Saqqara pyramids. The artefacts date back to the fifth and sixth dynasties of the Old Kingdom, spanning from roughly 2500 BC to 2100 BC, the excavation team said, according to the report.

One of the uncovered tombs belonged to a priest from the fifth dynasty known as Khnumdjedef. Other tomb belonged to an official named Meri who was a palace official. Meri held the title of 'the keeper of the secrets' which allowed him to perform special religious rituals.

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Other major findings from the excavation include statues, amulets and a well-preserved sarcophagus.

The Saqqara site is part of a sprawling necropolis at Egypt's ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famed Giza Pyramids as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in the 1970s.

Flurry of discoveries

Egypt has been unveiling various archeological discoveries in recent years as part of its efforts to revive the tourism industry.

On Tuesday, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 1,800-year-old Roman city in the heart of Luxor. The "complete residential city from the Roman-era" dates to the second and third centuries, and is the "oldest and most important city found on the eastern bank of Luxor," according to Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

In a separate discovery, archeologists unwrapped the 2300-year-old mummy of a teenage boy covered in gold. The mummified remains of the boy, stored unexamined at a museum in Cairo for over a century, was digitally unwrapped for the first time, and scientists found an excess of amulets and plants adorned his body.

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