A blog that reported that Archaeology Department has excavated a 4000-year-old mummy filled with gold treasure is being shared widely. The blog shared images and visuals of the excavated mummy. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the blog.
Claim: Visuals of the mummy full of gold treasure, excavated by the archaeology department.
Fact: These visuals show a mummy excavated in Luxor city of Egypt in 2018. The mummy is excavated by a French-led mission in the Al-Assasif necropolis on the western bank of the Nile and is presumed to be 3000 years old. The authorities have opened it in the presence of the media, for the first time. However, there is no gold treasure found in the mummy. It was initially reported that the sarcophagus contained well-preserved mummified remains of a woman named Thuya. However, the antiquities ministry later said they are working to definitively identify the name of the mummy. Recently, a mummy with gold tongue was discovered in Egypt, however, apart from the gold tongue, the sarcophagus has nothing made of gold. Moreover, the visuals shared in the blog has nothing to with this recent discovery. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals actually show an excavated mummy in the Luxor city of Egypt back in 2018. Reverse image search of the visuals in the blog yielded news reports which published the same image. As per these reports, the visuals are related to a 3000-year-old mummy excavated in Luxor city of Egypt. It was one of the two mummies that were excavated by a French-led mission in the Al-Assasif necropolis.
The authorities have opened it in the presence of the media, which was the first time opening of a previously unopened sarcophagus before international media. The opening revealed that the sarcophagus contained mummified remains of a woman but not gold. Initially, it was reported that the sarcophagus contained well-preserved mummified remains of a woman named Thuya. However, the antiquities ministry later said they are working to definitively identify the name of the mummy. The visuals of the opening of the sarcophagus can be seen here.
Another article that reported about the excavation can be read here. Even this article reiterated that the sarcophagus contained mummified remains of a woman but not gold. From all these, it is evident that the visuals shared in the blog are related to the 2018 excavation and the excavation did not yield any gold.
Recently, authorities in Egypt discovered mummified remains of a man and a woman along with three gold foil amulets in the shape of the tongue. Apart from these three foils, no other gold items were found. However, the viral visuals have nothing to do with this excavation. Further, we could not find any credible reports of excavation of mummies filled with gold treasure.
In a nutshell, these visuals do not show a 4000-year-old mummy filled with gold treasure.
