The Oxirhynchus archaeological mission, led by the Institute of the Ancient Near East of the University of Barcelona (IPOA, UB), under the direction of Dr. Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, has concluded its campaign with the discovery of 52 mummies from the Ptolemaic period13 of whom had golden tongues in their mouths.
“The excavations, carried out between November and December 2024, have uncovered unique remains, which allow us to deepen our knowledge about funerary practices, the religious life and monastic activity of ancient Egypt”, according to the UB.
The discovery of the golden tongues in the mouths of 13 mummies indicates a symbol of preparation for the afterlife. One of the mummies had two gold tongues, and another, a small gold plate that decorated its nails. At the same site, objects of great value have been recovered, such as a heart scarab in its original position, amulets with figures of Egyptian deities such as Horus, Thoth and Isis and a terracotta of the god Harpocrates.
The excavations have also revealed the structure of a tomb from the Ptolemaic period that contained about three hundred mummies. This tomb, with three funerary chambers and a vaulted ceiling, stands out for its walls decorated with texts and polychrome scenes that represent funerary rituals and divine figures such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum and Nut. In addition, four limestone sarcophagi have been discovered in this same context.
Another of the great advances of the campaign has been the reactivation of the excavations in the Coptic monastery of San Ciriaco, a Christian basilica dated between the 5th and 7th centuries. This construction, of large dimensions and rich decorations in sycamore (a type of ficus), “offers new keys to understanding the monastic movement in Egypt during the first centuries of Christianity, as well as the economic and administrative role of the monasteries in that period,” highlighted the UB.