Two more mummies with tongues made of gold found near Cairo

Archaeologists have found another pair of ancient Egyptian mummies with golden tongues in Oxyrinha, about 160 kilometers from Cairo. Thus, the total number of such specimens reached 16, all at the same site.

Since the early 19th century, many papyrus fragments and other artifacts have been found at Oxyrhynchus, but the most intriguing remain the tongues of gold. In Roman times, they were placed in the mouth of mummies, convinced that such a ritual would help the deceased in the other world. After all, the Egyptians considered the yellow metal “the flesh of the gods”.