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Thursday, 12th February 2009 (2000 views)

An ancient Egyptian mummy has been uncovered that is thought to contain a hoard of gold amulets.

Estimated to be 2,600-years-old, the mummy was unearthed by archaeologists in a burial chamber at Saqqara, 30km south of Cairo.

Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced the find and attended the opening of a sealed limestone sarcophagus in which a mummy in excellent condition was discovered.

According to Mr Hawass, as many as 100 gold amulets could be inside the mummy, which came from a tomb lying to the west of Egypt's oldest step pyramid containing around 30 mummies in total.

Gold amulets were left in tombs with mummies in order to provide protection to the dead in the afterlife.

Meanwhile, a significant hoard of Iron Age gold coins worth an estimated equivalent of £500,000 to £1 million today was discovered in a field in Suffolk last month.

 

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