Scientists have unwrapped the mummified body of a teenage boy to find that wealthy ancient Egyptians were given scores of amulets when they were mummified in the hope it would speed their journey to the afterlife.
The study said that the boy was about 4ft 2in tall and is believed to have died of natural causes.
Researchers used CT (computerized tomography) scans to make the discovery.
“Here we show that this mummy’s body was extensively decorated with 49 amulets, beautifully stylised in a unique arrangement of three columns between the folds of the wrappings and inside the mummy’s body cavity,” the study’s first author Dr Sahar Saleem from Cairo University was quoted as saying by PA.
“These include the Eye of Horus, the scarab, the akhet amulet of the horizon, the placenta, the Knot of Isis and others.
