Mummy of Young Girl May Unlock Pharoahs’ Secrets

Archeologists said Friday that they have recovered a 4,600-year-old skull which may unlock the secrets of how the ancient Pharoahs were preserved through mummification.

Ali Hassan, head of the state Archeological Department, said colleagues found a mummified body Thursday while searching a plateau west of the Giza Cheops Pyramid. The body disintegrated but the skull stayed pretty much intact.

“Look at this face. It is clear it belonged to a pretty young girl and most probably of noble blood,” Hassan said as the ancient skull was brought out to be photographed.

He said the cemetery belonged to the old kingdom of Ankh Ptah who ruled about 4,600 years ago.

“The mummy we found is unique. The skull has a gypsum mask, a technique not previously known about old Egyptians,” Hassan said. He added that the girl’s remains appeared to represent the first attempts at mummification.

‘A Pretty, Young Girl’

“Preliminary inspection showed the skull belonged to a pretty, young girl with a four-layer turquoise necklace and a gold-plated bronze crown,” he said.

The girl’s body disintegrated immediately after it was removed from the grave. “It turned to powder. But we managed to keep the skull in good shape,” Hassan said.

The discovery might help Egyptologists unravel the mystery of early mummification efforts.

“We don’t know enough about the mummification secrets. This may give us a clue or lead us to significant information about the little-known history of the old kingdom,” he said.

The 5-foot, 6-inch mummy was found inside a shaft 6 feet deep, west of the Cheops Pyramid, archeologist Amal Samuel said.

“We also found a total of 14 teeth, all in good condition near the skull, an indication they were removed before burial,” she said, adding that excavation will continue.

“We are optimistic that we will find something else related to the same discovery,” she added.