SCI/TECH: Archaeologists Uncover Bead-Covered Mummy

Australian archaeologists have accidentally found three coffins which may contain the most well preserved mummies ever found. The coffins were behind a door that was concealed by a pair of statues. One of the mummies' chest is covered in beads. In most cases, the beads have long-since been removed.



It is always exciting to hear of new finds that help to illuminate our past, especially ones in such good condition, considering the millennia of tampering that has occurred. New CT-scans of Tutankhamun are supposed to be released next week and such tests will be performed on these mummies to determine their medical conditions.

Related News Links:
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www.news.com.au

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[edit on 05/3/2 by GradyPhilpott]

Grady.
Great find. The more we know about our past the better we are.

Wow -- great find. I'll just bet Zahi Hawass was vibrating he was so excited by this find -- he is usually so enthusiastic about anything this must have sent him over the edge

Also thanks for reminding me that Tuts findings should be coming out soon.

jm

I wonder if the beads are in good condition. I'm a crafter/bead maker/jeweler/painter so it the bead part of the story truly fascinated me. I wish there was a picture of this that we could see.

btw, seems like we're finding alot of antiquities lately.

Here is the pic on the comcast website.

Not sure if the mummy had beads on the inside or on the outside.



I think the reason this mummy's beads are well preserved because they were hidden. I guess the thieves didn't find the beads or these were really bad beads, not worth stealing.

Surf

Tell me about it, worldwatcher I wonder if the beats are wood, seeds or semiprecious stones or glass.

I can not wait to find out.

[edit on 2-3-2005 by marg6043]

thanks for being on the ball surf

beads imo most people think are worthless, probably why the thieves wouldn't have went after them unless they were gemstones beads. It fascinates me that the history of beading goes so far back in time.

you're funny marg, bet you're waiting patiently to hear more about the beads

[edit on 3-2-2005 by worldwatcher]

Originally posted by worldwatcher

you're funny marg, bet you're waiting patiently to hear more about the beads

[edit on 3-2-2005 by worldwatcher]

I love when archaeologist find new stuff specially if their are well preserve and it has some special features.

If you go to the Comcast article and click on the image it will enlarge and you can see the bead work, but I'll save you the trouble:

The face of a decorated mummy inside an ancient wooden coffin, shaped like human body that date back to the 26th Pharaoh Dynasty that ruled from 672 BC to 525 BC, is seen in Sakkara, south of Cairo Wednesday, March 2, 2005. Australian archaeologists have discovered one of the best preserved ancient Egyptian mummies dating from about 2,600 years ago, Zahi Hawass, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council for Antiquities said. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

I've never seen anything quite like this and I saw the Kink Tut exhibit back in the seventies.


[edit on 05/3/2 by GradyPhilpott]

Thanks grady I think is beautiful, looks like a very fancy bead work taking in consideration the time and how they actually did the beads.

It's indeed quite different. By the color I wonder if it could be jade.

I think it's great we are still uncovering these wonders of the world.

Trap / hidden doors, undiscovered tombs and mummies. Kind of reminds me of all the Indiana Jones movies.

Surely though underneath those wonderful beads, it's just bones or does anybody out there know any different etc.?

More info that answers some of the questions:

03 March 2005
The green eyes stare out unblinkingly from the beaded mask. The woman's dark eyebrows and terracotta face look as fresh as they ever did.
news.independent.co.uk...

-----------------------------------
Mon Feb 28,12:37 PM ET

Two of the coffins contained male mummies and were crafted to represent bearded figures wearing elaborate collars with their arms crossed over their chests,..

The male mummies were wrapped in linen and covered from head to knee by a net of beads arranged to depict how they looked in life, it said.
The third coffin, which was in worse condition than the other two, contained a mummified woman who was covered by a net of mosaic beads depicting her, the council said.

story.news.yahoo.com.../nm/20050228/sc_nm/egypt_mummy_dc_1

---------------------------------------

February 28, 2005

The beads, which date to the 26th Dynasty (664-525 B.C.), had been fashioned into what is called a "net overlay" and placed atop a linen-wrapped mummy inside a wooden, person-shaped coffin. Such coffins were particularly beloved by Egyptians, who believed they would serve as a substitute body after death.

The overlay looks a bit like colorful chain mail, and needs extensive restoration work. But the beads are pristine and gorgeous. (More often archaeologists find bits and pieces of netting with broken or faded beads.)
"This overlay is not only very well preserved, its color is well preserved and the style of it is fairly unusual," Silverman said. "Put those all together, and this thing is pretty spectacular."

www.timesleader.com...

Such care and devotion on the mummies show that they most have been very important in life.

I wounder what the inscriptions if any said about the mummies.

the beadwork is phenomenal. Such intricacy and detail and to think its so old. thanks for the big pic