Ancient Egyptian Discoveries and Facts cont.

Over the years, many interesting ancient Egyptian discoveries and information have come to light. In this article, you will encounter details concerning King Tut, the Egyptian government, and the god of mummification.

A Queen is Found

In July of 2007, the government in Cairo made an announcement that the remains of a mummy uncovered in the Valley of the Kings belonged to Queen Hatshpsut , a female pharaoh that ruled during the 15th century. Using DNA analysis, archeologists were able to identify the remains as the first royal Egyptian mummy unearthed since King Tut was in 1922.

Favorite Outdoor Activities

What did ancient Egyptians like to do for fun? If you take a look at ancient artwork found inside caves in the southwestern part of Egypt, you will learn that swimming was possibly high on their list. Images show people having fun in rain pools that existed about 8,000 years ago. This time period would mark before monsoon rains had ended and created a Sahara that was no longer inhabitable.

2005 Was a Good Year

Archeologists exploring an Egyptian tomb that dated back 2,500 years ago displayed three elaborate coffins. Inside, one proved to offer a great find, as it served as the final resting place to a rather well preserved mummy. Researchers have dubbed this specimen one of the best mummies ever preserved.

We Want Our Stuff Back!

With claims that artifacts have been taken from Egypt by illegal means, officials made an announcement that they would request museums to return their items under temporary means. They are interested in receiving back some of the their most valued objects, such as the Rosetta Stone and bust of Nefertiti. The announcement came in April of 2007.

The God of Mummification

Mummification was an important part of the ancient Egyptian culture. The god in charge of the practice was called Anubis. He possessed the body of a human, but the head of a jackal. It was Anubis’ responsibility to make sure that the bodies of the dead were properly prepared so that they would enter the afterlife appropriately to Osiris.

The Mystery Behind the Great Pyramids

Researchers have revealed that some of the stone blocks used to build the Great Pyramids of Giza were not carved and then quarried as some previously thought. Due to further examination of the stones, the outer and inner casing stones displayed proof that it was highly unlikely that the great structures were chiseled from natural limestone.

King Tut’s Face

With the help of artists and forensic scientists, the first facial reconstructions of the infamous King Tut were revealed in 2005. Thanks to the wonder of CT scan results used on his mummified remains, we can now gather a picture of what the young king must have looked like in the past. Interestingly, the facial reconstruction of King Tut appeared quite similar to some of the ancient portraits of the pharaoh that have survived over the years.