4,000 yr old brightly painted mummies found in Egypt necropolis

Archaeologists working in an Egyptian oasis have found a necropolis containing dozens of brightly painted mummies dating back as far as 4,000 years.

The necropolis was uncovered near the Ilahun pyramid in Fayoum oasis south of Cairo. According to a report in Middle East Online, the linen-wrapped mummies are painted in the still-bright traditional ancient Egyptian colours of turquoise, terracotta and gold. 

“The mission found dozens of mummies in 53 rock-hewn tombs dating to the Middle Kingdom from 2061-1786 BC,” said Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s antiquities chief. “Four of the mummies date back to the 22nd Dynasty (931 to 725 BC) and are considered some of the most beautiful mummies found,” he added.

Abdel-Rahman el-Ayedi, who headed the mission, said that a Middle Kingdom
funerary chapel with an offering table was also found, and that it was probably used up to the Roman era which lasted from 30 BC to 337 AD. The team also found 15 painted masks, along with amulets and clay pots, according to Hawass.