Stunning Discovery: Mummies Found with Golden Tongues

Recent archaeological excavations have unveiled sheets of gold adorning the tongues of over a dozen mummified Egyptians in proximity to contemporary Al-Bahansa. This remarkable discovery echoes an ancient practice believed to bestow upon the deceased the power of speech in the afterlife.

Archaeologists unearthed a wealth of artifacts from a tomb dating back to the Ptolemaic era (305 to 30 BCE) in the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus, associated with an individual named Wen Nefer. Among the findings are not only the thirteen gilded tongues but also a mummy adorned with golden fingernails, heart scarabs, amulets, funerary pottery, and canopic jars that contained the removed organs of the deceased. The tomb’s walls are elaborately painted with intricate gilded depictions of deities, celestial bodies, and the embalming process.

This is the first instance of many artifacts being retrieved from Al-Bahansa, according to the team of archaeologists from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of the Ancient Middle East in Germany. “These discoveries provide profound insights into the religious customs and funerary practices of the Ptolemaic period in Al-Bahansa,” stated Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt in an interview with Al-Ahram.

Golden tongues are a rarity in ancient Egyptian burial sites, likely due to historical pillaging, yet they offer a revealing perspective on what the ancient Egyptians considered significant for the afterlife. Such gold tongue amulets were placed in the mouths of the deceased to ensure they could articulate before the court of Osiris.

Gold fingernail covers were typically reserved for individuals of high social standing, believed to serve both a protective function against the hazards of the embalming process and as a safeguard from metaphysical threats.

The discovery encompasses 52 mummies from the Ptolemaic era and the remains of a large burial structure housing around 300 mummies in close proximity, along with various amulets and scarabs representing deities such as Horus, Thoth, Isis, Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Nut.

Four limestone sarcophagi remain intact within the tomb, and in one chamber, the mummified remains of a man were found, still possessing a golden tongue and a heart scarab preserved in their original positions. The heart scarab is particularly noteworthy, as these artifacts were typically placed within the wrappings of the deceased, directly over the heart, to facilitate the passage into the afterlife.

Additionally, Djed pillars, Wadjet eyes, figurines of deities, and beads have persisted in the tomb for over two millennia since sealing.

The murals within the tomb are particularly captivating. Nut, the goddess of motherhood and the cosmos, is depicted bare-chested against a deep blue sky adorned with stars. Other deities are shown traversing serene waters in funeral boats beneath similarly rich starlit skies.

In one particularly striking mural, a man—potentially Wen Nefer, although further analysis of the canopic jars is necessary for confirmation—bears a face enhanced with gold leaf, as he undergoes embalming rituals performed by Anubis, while the goddesses Isis and Nepthys, both closely associated with funerary rites, observe the proceedings.

This tomb stands out as one of the most ornate burial chambers unearthed to date, evoking a sense of solace among the living, knowing that their loved ones were well-equipped for whatever awaits them in the afterlife.

For more captivating imagery of these archaeological finds, please visit the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ Facebook page.