Archaeologists discover gold-plated mummies
GIZA: Archaeologists discovered a mummy covered in gold leaf in a stone coffin that had not been opened for 4,300 years.
The mummy of a man named Hekashepes is considered to be one of the oldest and most complete non-royal bodies ever found in Egypt.
It was found under 15 meters in a cemetery south of Cairo, Saqqara with three other graves also found.
One of them is said to belong to a man named Khnumdjedef who was a priest, inspector and overseer of nobility.
While the other belongs to a man named Meri who is also a senior palace official with the title of Secret Keeper.
Another mummy reportedly named Fetek is believed to be buried in another tomb with a collection of statues believed to be the largest ever found in the area.
Some other items including pottery were also found in the same area.
Saqqara is a cemetery with an age expected to exceed 3,000 years and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
It is located in the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis and houses more than a dozen pyramids including the Step Pyramid.
Thursday’s discovery comes a day after experts in the city of Luxor discovered a complete Roman-era residential city, dating back to the second and third centuries.
Egypt has unveiled many major archaeological discoveries in recent years as part of efforts to revive its tourism industry.
