Ancient Egyptian tomb unveils 13 mummies with golden tongues

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a remarkable find in the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus: 13 mummies adorned with golden tongues and fingernails.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that these mummies, dating back to the Ptolemaic period (304 BC to 30 BC), were discovered at the bottom of a burial shaft leading to a hall with three chambers.

Golden tongues were historically placed in mummies to enable the deceased to speak in the afterlife, as gold was believed to be “the flesh of the gods.” The inclusion of golden fingernails, however, marks a unique and unprecedented discovery.

The burial chambers also yielded 29 golden amulets, some shaped like scarabs - a common motif in Ancient Egyptian art. Additionally, an exquisite wall painting depicting deities, including Nut, the sky goddess surrounded by stars, was uncovered. Experts praised the exceptional quality and vibrant colors of the artwork.

“This is the first discovery of its kind in the Al-Bahnasa archaeological area,” the ministry stated. Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, suggested that the abundance of golden tongues could indicate the mummies belonged to high-ranking elites associated with local temples or animal cults.

Earlier this year, a joint Egyptian-American team discovered 11 sealed burials near the South Asasif necropolis in Luxor. These tombs contained skeletons of men, women, and children, believed to represent a family grave reused across generations during Egypt’s 12th and 13th Dynasties.