Archaeologists have discovered a 4,300-year-old mummy, completely wrapped in gold, next to the step pyramids, according to the Daily Mail. According to scientists, it may be the oldest mummy ever found.
A man named Hekashepes was found inside a limestone sarcophagus at the bottom of a 50-foot-deep shaft. Archaeologists have also unearthed many beautiful life-size statues carved to represent servants, men, women and families.
“Additionally, the expedition yielded many amulets, stone vessels, tools for daily life, and statues of deities, along with pottery,” said Hawass, a former Minister of Antiquities for Egypt.
Hekashepes’ large rectangular limestone sarcophagus was still sealed with the mortar ancient Egyptians had covered the tomb with over 40 centuries ago.
“I put my head inside to see what was inside the sarcophagus: A beautiful mummy of a man completely covered in layers of gold,” said Hawass, noting that the mummy could be the “oldest” and “most complete found in Egypt to date.
The discovery of Hekashepes was hardly the most exciting find during the year-long excavation at Gisr al-Mudir, one of the oldest known stone structures in Egypt.
“Unfortunately, the expedition did not find any inscriptions that could identify the owners of these statues,” said Egyptologist Zahi Hawas, who led the excavation.
The site of Saqqara is part of a vast necropolis in the ancient capital of Egypt, Memphis, which includes the famous pyramids of Giza and smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaish.
The ruins of Memphis were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the 1970s.
