Archaeologists use CT tomography to study the mummy of the ‘golden boy’ – Photo: IFLSCIENCE
The ‘golden boy’ was first found in 1916 in a cemetery used between 332 and 30 BC, in Nag el-Hassay, southern Egypt.
Decoding mummy ‘golden boy’
His body was found with a gilded mask and a breastplate, in two coffins: the outer one was inscribed in Greek and the inner wooden sarcophagus.
The boy’s mummy was never opened for autopsy. The coffin was placed in the basement of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
In a recent new study, archaeologists used CT scans to study the mummy of a golden boy.
The face of the mummy seen through tomography software – Photo: IFLSCIENCE
They discovered this is the mummy of a teenage boy, with high socioeconomic status, who lived about 2,300 years ago in ancient Egypt.
Research shows that the boy is about 128cm tall. Based on the degree of fusion of the bones and the fact that the boy’s wisdom teeth have yet to erupt, researchers believe he is no older than 15 years old.
Typical of ancient Egyptian mummification, the boy’s brain was removed through his nose and his skull was injected with turpentine. All of the boy’s vital organs were removed through an incision, except for his heart, which was still in his chest.
New discoveries
At least 21 different types of amulets have been discovered in the burial ground, each representing different elements of Egyptian belief.
A golden tongue was placed inside his mouth to ensure the boy could talk to the gods in the afterlife.
“Many amulets are made of gold, while some are made of precious stones, fired clay or porcelain. Their purpose is to protect the body and bring life to the body in the afterlife,” said Dr Sahar Saleem, first author of the study and professor at Cairo University’s medical faculty. in a statement.
“And the golden heart scarab is very important in the afterlife. It will silence the heart on Judgment Day, so as not to testify against the dead. It was placed in the body cavity during embalming to replace the disintegrating heart,” added Dr Saleem.
The boy was also buried with a pair of plain sandals. “The sandals were probably used to help the boy step out of the coffin. According to the ancient Egyptian ritual, the dead had to wear white sandals to appear pious and clean before praying,” Mr. Saleem said. .
New research published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.