Czech Archaeologists Discovered Largest Mummification Deposit in Egypt

Czech archaeologists have made another major discovery in Egypt.

370 large vessels and other objects used during the mummification process in the sixth century B.C. have been found in a burial shaft in the Abusir necropolis by a team of Egyptologists from Charles University.

The researchers found traces of natron, a substance used to dry the body, and detected residues of resins, oils, and myrrh in the jars.

Unused limestone canopic jars, which were used to hold viscera removed from the body during the embalming process, were also recovered.

“Interestingly, there were inscriptions on them including the name of the owner,” said team member Jiří Janák. “That’s what helped us identify the person to whom this deposit belonged.”

“Among the objects, we found there were other smaller vessels as well as pieces of ashes from a fire that burned somewhere near the place where the person was mummified. We also found remnants of natron, a substance that the Egyptians used to dry the dead body.”

Wahibre-mery-Neith, the owner of the tomb, is thought to have been buried in the structure adjacent to the mummification deposit, Janák explained.

The team will continue to analyze the contents of the jars in an effort to shed light on the process of mummification.

Czech Egyptologists has been working on the site in Abusir already since the 1960s and has one of the largest archaeological sites loaned by the Egyptians to foreigners.

Photo: Petr Košárek, Charles University

Photo: Petr Košárek, Charles University