From mummies with golden tongues to the pyramids built for a previously unknown queen… here are 10 remarkable discoveries about ancient Egypt in 2022.
Ancient Egypt holds many secrets, and in 2022, archaeologists made several fascinating discoveries, including the tomb of a previously unknown queen, a falcon temple with an enigmatic message, and a massive tunnel beneath a temple. Below are some of the most astonishing discoveries at ancient Egyptian archaeological sites in 2022.
1. Lifelike Mummy Portraits
A mummy found in a cemetery in ancient Philadelphia with a portrait of the deceased buried alongside them.
While excavating a cemetery in the ancient city of Philadelphia, archaeologists unearthed two complete and incomplete mummy portraits interred in this graveyard. Researchers believe the deceased likely belonged to the middle or upper class, as commissioning custom portraits at the time would have been quite expensive. Due to looting, mummy portraits are extremely rare, with the last discovery occurring in the 1880s.
2. Temple of Zeus-Kasios
This pink granite column was once part of the Temple of Zeus-Kasios.
Archaeologists at Tell el-Farama on the Sinai Peninsula discovered the ruins of a temple dedicated to Zeus-Kasios, a deity that is a hybrid of Zeus and the weather god Kasios. Researchers identified the temple after noticing portions of two pink granite columns protruding from the ground, which they believe once supported the temple’s entrance and may have collapsed in ancient times due to a major earthquake.
3. Mummies with Golden Tongues
The remnant of a golden tongue found on a mummy from ancient Egypt.
During the Greco-Roman period, mummies were often buried with golden tongues. The ancient Egyptians believed this practice would help the deceased attain divinity in the afterlife. A team of archaeologists discovered several artifacts related to this burial custom at an excavation site in an ancient cemetery near Quesna, just north of Cairo. The tombs also contained numerous grave goods, such as necklaces, pottery, and golden scarabs.
4. The Falcon Temple and an Enigmatic Message about Boiling Heads
The falcon imagery seen at the falcon temple in Berenike may represent various deities. This falcon sculpture originated from Edfu, a city on the Nile south of Luxor.
Archaeologists accidentally uncovered a 1,700-year-old temple containing 15 headless falcon mummies on a pedestal and a stone monument depicting two unnamed deities in Berenike, a port on the Red Sea. Next to the pedestal, a hooked iron spear was found, but what truly astonished researchers was a Greek inscription discovered in one of the temple’s back rooms, stating: “It is wrong to boil heads in here.”
5. Gold Ring Engraved with “The God of Joy”
This gold ring features an engraving of Bes, the ancient Egyptian god of joy.
This further demonstrates that even ancient Egyptians enjoyed having fun. While exploring a burial site in Akhetaten (present-day Amarna), a city south of Cairo, archaeologists discovered a trove of gold artifacts, including a necklace and three rings. One notable piece of jewelry featured an engraving of Bes, also known as “the god of joy,” who loved music, celebrations, and protected women during childbirth.
6. Protective Tattoos for Childbirth
A tattoo on the left hip of an Egyptian woman mummy from Tomb 298.
Before childbirth, some ancient Egyptian women would tattoo themselves as a form of protection during the birthing process. Archaeologists discovered six examples of this practice while studying mummies interred at Deir el-Medina, an archaeological site along the Nile River.
7. A Massive Water Tunnel
The tunnel is approximately 2 meters high and resembles another ancient tunnel built in Samos, Greece.
Archaeologists discovered a 1,305-meter-long tunnel beneath a temple in Taposiris Magna, an ancient city located west of Alexandria, Egypt. It is believed that at one time, this massive tunnel was used to transport water for the populace and is an exact replica of the Eupalinos Tunnel on the island of Samos in Greece, considered an engineering marvel.
8. Birds in the “Masterpiece” of Egypt
The birds depicted in this image from a replica are rock pigeons, which can still be found year-round in Egypt.
A painting depicting birds flying and perching beside a marsh was so detailed that modern researchers used a replica of it to accurately identify the species illustrated in this 3,300-year-old artwork. Archaeologists discovered the “masterpiece” a century ago on the walls of a palace in the capital of ancient Egypt, Amarna, but it was only recently that researchers identified the species described in the artwork, including a kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), a red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), and a white wagtail (Motacilla alba).
9. New Insights into Mummification
A mummy is part of an exhibition at the British Museum.
Archaeologists have completely overturned the narrative taught in schools about mummification. The ancient Egyptians used burial practices not to preserve the deceased’s body but as a way to guide them toward divinity.
10. The Tomb of an Unknown Queen
On the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, a team of archaeologists unearthed the tomb of a previously unknown royal: Queen Neith. This discovery took place at Saqqara, an archaeological site in Giza, and marks the first record of her in archaeological history.
