Archaeologists have discovered the 'oldest' and 'most complete' mummy in Egypt in rare find

Archaeologists appear to have discovered the oldest mummy to ever been found in Egypt in a tomb in Saqqara, near the Step Pyramid of Djoser. It is also the "most complete" mummy ever discovered in Egypt. It is estimated to be around 4,300 years old. According to The Collector, the mummy has been identified as Djed Sepsh, a significant middle-aged guy at the time. All the information was confirmed by Zahi Hawass. He's Egypt's former minister of antiquities. Archaeologists uncovered many more ancient tombs in the same place where they found the mummy. After opening the tomb, archaeologists witnessed that the mummy was layered in gold and had a bracelet on his chest. 

Not only was this discovered in the depths of the desert of Saqqara, but also it was believed to be an Egyptian priest called Khnumdjedef. He served Unas Pharaoh, the last ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt. "A large rectangular limestone sarcophagus was found at the bottom of this shaft, belonging to a man called Heka-shepa. The sarcophagus was found sealed with mortar, just as the ancient Egyptians had left it 4300 years ago. A mummy was found inside covered with gold leaf", wrote Dr. Hawass on his Instagram. Last year saw the 100th anniversary of "Boy King" Tutenkhamon's tomb, which means that during Boy King's reign, Heka-shepa were already buried under the sands for more than 1,000 years.

"Meri" was the name of the second tomb. Apparently, Meri was the "keeper of the secrets and assistant to the great leader of the palace." The archaeologists also came across nine more sculptures that provide an idea of what art was like during the Old Kingdom. This cemetery was notably a burial spot for "important people and mainly the King." The Step Pyramid is another antique monument from ancient Egypt that highlights the beginning of the Third Dynasty. Near the tomb of Heka-shepa, other shafts were discovered that beheld significant wooden sculptures, some of which were hidden behind a fake wall, as per Good News Network. 

"The mission discovered three stone statues representing a person named Fetek," Dr. Zahi Hawass detailed on his Instagram. "Besides these statues was an offering table and a stone sarcophagus that contained his mummy." Among these findings, two other mummies were unearthed. The priests Khnum-djed-ef and Messi were found in the pyramids of Unas and King Pepi I, respectively. The Step Pyramid of Djoser is deemed to be the earliest monumental stone building in Egypt and the surrounding Saqqara cemetery is well-known for a number of exceptional artifacts. The royal treasurer of Pharaoh Ramses II and the tomb of Queen Nearit, the wife of King Teti, the first ruler of the sixth dynasty of the Old Kingdom, were discovered there in 2021.

"Additionally, the expedition yielded many amulets, stone vessels, tools for daily life and statues of deities, along with pottery," said Dr. Hawass, concluding his post. Another discovery by archaeologists in the underground tunnels of Egypt seems to have uncovered a part of the lost tomb of Cleopatra. The 4,281-foot-long tunnels are known as an "engineering marvel" (1,305 meters). It's connected with three religious sanctuaries and a sacred lake, where 1,500 artifacts have been found so far, including coins with the name of Cleopatra. Along with coins bearing her name, other coins were discovered with the names of other Ptolemaic rulers and Alexander the Great. There were busts of unidentified figures and statues of the goddess Isis. Limestone blocks and pottery shards were found where the tunnels fell into the sea.