The secrets of the ‘Golden Boy’ mummy: Buried 2,300 years ago with 49 amulets

More than 100 years ago, archaeologists discovered in a cemetery in Nag el-Hassay in southern Egypt a surprising find: The intact mummy of a boy, inside two unsealed sarcophagi.

They named it “Golden Boy” as the mummy belonged to an upper-caste teenager and wore a gilded face mask. It is even estimated that he was buried 2,300 years ago.

The mummy was originally discovered in 1916 and has since been kept in the basement of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Now, with the help of technology, scientists have revealed the hidden secrets of the “Golden Boy”, by CT scanning the mummy and unwrapping it “digitally”.

Stunning CT scans of ‘Golden Boy’ mummy from ancient Egypt reveal 49 hidden amulets https://t.co/TC9A5ZcVkL

— Live Science (@LiveScience) January 24, 2023

CT scans showed the boy to be 1.28m tall, and aged between 14 and 15, given that he had not yet erupted his wisdom teeth.

The cause of death remains unclear as no pathological findings were found.

Also, in terms of the embalming method, apart from the heart, his internal organs had been removed by incision, while the brain had been removed from the nose and replaced with resin.

What is impressive is that the “Golden Boy” was buried with 49 precious amulets – gold or with precious stones – such as the Eye of Horus, the scarab, the Knot of Isis, etc., according to the scientists.

The amulets were resting on his body or between the folds of the cloth.

Stunning CT scans of ‘Golden Boy’ mummy from ancient Egypt reveal 49 hidden amuletshttps://t.co/ihPsB5Ngu2 pic.twitter.com/fOQigKiJbQ

— Smartest Tech (@smartesttechs) January 24, 2023

For example, according to Ancient Egyptian lore and belief, a golden sheet of tongue was placed inside the mummy’s mouth to ensure the boy could speak in the afterlife, while a right-angled talisman was meant to bring balance.

The boy was also dressed in garlands of ferns and wore sandals.

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