A Historic Discovery at the Al-Bahnasa Archaeological Site: Gold Tongues and Nails Found in Ptolemaic Tombs
In an unprecedented discovery at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in Minya Governorate, a joint Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of the Ancient Near Eastern Studies has unearthed a group of golden tongues and nails belonging to mummies in Ptolemaic-era tombs.
The team uncovered several tombs adorned with colorful inscriptions and paintings, containing mummies, skeletal remains, coffins, and unique artifacts during their excavation work.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the significance of this finding. For the first time in the Al-Bahnasa region, human remains have been discovered with 13 golden tongues and golden nails attributed to mummies from the Ptolemaic era. Additionally, the tombs featured ancient Egyptian inscriptions and motifs, some of which appeared in the area for the first time. This discovery offers valuable insights into the religious practices of the Ptolemaic period and adds to the historical record of the region.
Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Amer, a professor at the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University and the mission's excavation director, highlighted an exceptional find in one of the tombs: a heart scarab found in situ within a mummy. The team also discovered 29 djed pillar amulets, scarabs representing deities such as Horus, Thoth, and Isis, as well as composite amulets featuring these three deities together.
Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, head of the Spanish delegation, reported that the mission uncovered a rectangular stone burial shaft leading to a Ptolemaic tomb. The tomb contained a central hall with three chambers filled with dozens of mummies placed side by side, indicating their use as communal burial spaces.
Adjacent to this shaft, another burial shaft was discovered leading to three chambers. One of these chambers featured walls adorned with colorful paintings and inscriptions. These depict the tomb owner, "Wen Nefer," and his family presenting offerings to deities such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, Horus, and Thoth. The ceiling was decorated with a depiction of the goddess Nut, the sky deity, rendered in white on a blue background surrounded by stars and sacred boats carrying deities such as Khepri, Ra, and Atum.
Notably, the face of one mummy being embalmed by the deity Anubis was covered in a thin, highly luminous layer of gold, as were the faces of deities Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys depicted in front of and behind the deceased. These intricate scenes, which include the tomb owner and his family in the presence of deities, are being observed for the first time in the Al-Bahnasa region. The chamber also contained four limestone sarcophagi.
Dr. Maite Mascort, another leader of the mission, noted that during the previous excavation season, the team uncovered several tombs from the Saite, Greek, and Roman periods, as well as a Roman basilica church and an Osirion temple. She confirmed that the mission will continue its work to reveal more of the secrets of this remarkable archaeological site.
-- Sent from my Linux system.
No comments:
Post a Comment