WORLD NEWS
May 3, 2005
Beautiful Mummy Unveiled in Egypt
Archeologists announce the discovery of a 2,300-year-old mummy they say may be Egypt’s most beautiful
 The unidentified mummy is about 2,300-years-old. |
On Tuesday, Zahi Hawass announced the discovery of a 2,300-year-old mummy. Hawass said it “may be the most beautiful mummy ever found in Egypt.” Hawass knows what he’s talking about. He’s the world’s best-known expert on Egyptian mummies and antiquities.
 |  Zahi Hawass checks the brilliantly colored mummy at Egypt's Saqqara Pyramids complex south of Cairo. |
The unidentified mummy wears a blue headdress and golden mask and is covered in colorful images of gods and goddesses.
A Stunning Find
“The artists who made this mummy more than 2,000 years ago demonstrated the brilliance of the ancient Egyptians by using stunning colors and depicting his face so graphically,” said Hawass, chief of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Hawass and an Egyptian team of archaeologists made the stunning discovery about two months ago. They found the mummy near the Saqqara pyramids, about 12 miles south of Cairo, Egypt’s capital city. The mummy was found in a wooden sarcophagus and buried in sand at the bottom of a 20-foot passage.
Piecing the Mummy Clues Together
Hawass said the mummy dates back to about 380 – 343 B.C. Hawass said a team of experts will use a technology called CT scanning to learn more about the mummy. Some of the details they are looking for include the identity of the ancient Egyptian, how he lived and how he died.
Hawass said he thinks the ancient Egyptian must have been wealthy because of the location of the mummy and the gold that is used on the mummy’s mask. The mummy was buried in the necropolis of King Teti. King Teti ruled during Egypt’s 6th dynasty, about 4,300 years ago.
