Archaeologists have uncovered Egyptian mummies with golden tongues, offering new insights into ancient burial practices.

A team of archaeologists at a burial site in Egypt has discovered ancient mummies with golden tongues, shedding light on burial customs of the past.

Led by Kathleen Martinez from the University of Santo Domingo, the team was excavating the Taposiris Magna Temple in Alexandria when they unearthed 16 burial shafts from the Greek and Roman periods.

Among the finds were several mummies in poor condition, as reported in a post by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Facebook.

The archaeologists also uncovered remnants of gilded cartonnage—layers of linen or papyrus glued together—as well as gold foil amulets shaped like tongues, which were believed to be part of a ritual ensuring the dead could speak to Osiris in the afterlife.

Martinez highlighted two mummies as the most remarkable. One features gilded depictions of Osiris, the god of the afterlife, while the other wears a crown adorned with horns and a cobra, with a gilded falcon pendant on its chest symbolizing the god Horus.

An additional significant discovery was a funeral mask belonging to a woman, as noted by Dr. Khaled Abo El Hamd, director-general of Alexandria's Ministry of Antiquities. He also emphasized the discovery of eight golden flakes representing the leaves of a wreath on another funeral mask, along with eight marble masks from the Greek and Roman periods, which demonstrate exceptional skill in sculpture and accurately depict the features of their original owners.

Alexander the Great of Macedon conquered Egypt in 332 BCE, and after his death, control passed to the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty. In 30 BC, the Romans took over, ruling Egypt until approximately 640 AD.

Over the past ten years, archaeologists working at the site have unearthed several coins bearing the name and likeness of Queen Cleopatra VII within the temple walls. They have also uncovered parts of statues and temple grounds, which confirm the temple's construction by King Ptolemy IV, according to the Ministry of Antiquities.