Archeologists researching at the Saqqara archaeological site, in Cairo have managed to procure a gold-covered mummy from the ancient era, along with many other artifacts. According to the archeologists, the gold-covered which they found in the stone coffin or sarcophagus, has been sealed for over 4,300 years. The archaeologists have said that this is the most complete mummy they have managed to find that is not from the royal records as it was not a tradition to protect non-royal mummies. The gold-covered mummy was found at the burial site in Saqqara archaeological site, buried under 15 feet along with three other mummies. The archeologists have managed to identify these mummies based on the related artifacts and other information they found along with the mummies.
The gold-covered mummy is believed to belong to a man named Hekashepes, who was a non-royal person. The second mummy which the archaeologists found belonged to a man named Khnumdjedef, who was a priest and inspector. His mummy was the largest in terms of size. The third mummy belonged to a man named Mer, who had a special title given to him as the secret keeper. Based on his mummy, he was the official at the senior palace who was given special rights to perform religious rituals. The last mummy belonged to a man named Fatek, who was a judge and a writer. His tomb was discovered in an area that had some of the largest statues found at the site. Besides these tombs, the archeologists also managed to find many historical artifacts which reflected the cultural redevelopment from that period. These historical artifacts included pottery items with special carvings.
These findings have been admired by the Egyptian government officials who greeted the archeologists active on this project. Archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who was also the former antiquities minister of Egypt, said that all the items which the team of archaeologists has managed to procure from the site belong to the era that dates to the 25th to the 22nd centuries BC. Another archaeologist, Ali Abu Deshish, said that this excavation mission and its discoveries carry significant importance as it connects the King and the people which served the King.
Saqqara archaeological site is extremely important for the archeology world as it was used as a burial site around 3,000 years ago. Due to the historical importance of this site, UNESCO has recognized the site as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At that time, the burials used to be a massive ceremony for the Egyptian people as it meant the preparation for their afterlife. This was the reason the Egyptians developed the process of mummification as they believed that the person needs their body to get the afterlife. But the process of mummification was extremely expensive for the common people to seek. Hence only the royal mummies are found in extremely good shape and form as they were prepared with dedicated care. This is the reason that this discovery holds such high importance as the archeologists managed to find mummies which did not belong to the royal family but still were well preserved.
