Gold-tongued mummy found at 2,000-year-old burial site in Egypt

Cairo, Feb 02: A 2,000-year-old mummy bearing a tongue made of gold has been unearthed by Archaeologists at the ancient Egyptian site Taposiris Magna.

Embalmers perhaps placed the golden tongue on the mummy to ensure that the deceased would be able to speak in the afterlife, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.

The skeleton with the gold tongue was found to be well-preserved, as its skull and most of its structure is still intact.

Archaeologists dug it out of the rock-cut tomb and were met with the still shining gold object inside of the skeleton's mouth.

The excavation is being led by the University of Santo Domingo, which has been working at the site for nearly a decade.

The burial shafts, dating back some 2,000 years, were popular in ancient Greek and Roman eras, which held remains inside of a mountain or natural rocky formation.

Within the tombs were a number of mummies and although the remains have since deteriorated, the stone funeral masks are still intact - allowing the team to see what each person may have once looked like.

The team had previously uncovered several coins inside the Temple of Taposiris Magna etched with the face of Queen Cleopatra VII, which suggests she ruled when many of the individuals were laid to rest in their rock-cut tombs.

Additionally, pieces of statues and temple grounds reveal King Ptolemy IV built this spectacular temple.