| Mummies of Minya Necropolis Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | unknown |
| Age | varied |
| Sex | unknown |
| Status | believed to be priests or officials |
| Height | unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Egyptian |
| Date(s) | approximately 1500 years ago |
| Site | Tuna al-Gabal |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Minya, Egypt |
| Catalog # | |
Several mummies, older than 1,500 years old, belonging to the Greco-Roman period, approximately 330 BC after Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great.
17 mummies found in Tounah al Gabal in May 2017 are believed to all be priests and officials, due to the elaborate preservation efforts.
Mummification[]
The sophisticated manner in which the mummies were persevered indicates that they were elite priests or officials. The necropolis was approximately 25 feet (8 meters) under the surface of the ground.
Studies[]
The Necropolis was first discovered by university students of Cairo using radar in 2016.
Additional[]
This was the first human Necropolis discovered in Tounah al-Gabal, a necropolis holding at least 17 mummies. The mummies were found in burial shafts along with a collection of eight limestone sarcophagi, two of which were carved in clay. A number of baboon coffins were also found. Discovered as well were two papyri written in demotic script.
References[]
Gaballa, A. (2017,May 13). Egypt uncovers chamber of mummies, sees life for tourism. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-archaeology-discovery/egypt-uncovers-chamber-of-mummies-sees-life-for-tourism-idUSKBN1890F8
Rosenberg, E. (2017, May 13). Ancient Burial Chamber Uncovered in Egypt, With 17 Mummies ... So Far. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/world/middleeast/egypt-mummies-burial-site-minya.html
Zaki, M. (2017, May 13). Egyptian archaeologists uncover necropolis with 17 mummies. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/13/egyptian-archaeologists-uncover-necropolis-17-mummies/101638880/