Clever and seductive, Cleopatra knew how to conquer the hearts of the most powerful men of their time. However, despite the fact that its fame transcended the centuries, the whereabouts of the tomb where it lies is one of the great mysteries of archeology. A mystery that, with the recent discovery of two high-status mummies, could be closer to solving.
The x-rays made of the mummies established that they are the remains of a man and a woman. One of the hypotheses is that they were priests.
Some think that she was buried in Alexandria, the city where she was born and ruled from her royal palace. Others believe that the place where her remains rest may be about 50 kilometers from the aforementioned city, in the ancient temple of Taposiris Magna, which was built by the Ptolemaic Egyptians in the Nile River Delta.
Now, two mummies of high-status priests (a man and a woman), who lived in Cleopatra’s time, have been unearthed at Taposiris Magna, in a discovery labeled “sensational” for showing the importance of this necropolis and its relationship. with the queen.
Elisabeth Taylor, playing the Egyptian Pharaoh in ‘Cleopatra’ (1963)
Although the burial chamber found was undisturbed for 2000 years, the mummies found there are in a poor state of preservation because water has leaked over the centuries. But the evidence reveals that they were originally completely covered in gold foil, a luxury granted only to those from the highest levels of society. Archaeologists even suggest that these two individuals perhaps interacted with Cleopatra.
The human incarnation of Isis
According to Dr. Kathleen Martínez, who directs the excavations at Taposiris Magna, this could be the most likely resting place for the last Ptolemaic queen.
Location of Taposiris Magna. Credit: The Guardian
Cleopatra considered herself “the human incarnation of Isis,” recalls the archaeologist, noting that the temple would have been associated with both the goddess and the queen, as evidenced by a foundation slab implying that Taposiris Magna was dedicated to Isis. In addition, at the place of the altar, where the priests made offerings to the gods, 200 coins were found with the face of Cleopatra.
Taking into account that to date only a small part of the complex has been studied, it can be expected that one day in Taposiris Magna the remains of the queen will be found, Martínez assumes.
Archaeologist Kathleen Martínez with Egyptologist Glenn Godenho. In the background, the ruins of the temple of Taposiris Magna. Credit: Arrow Media
Details of the new temple discovery will be featured in the documentary The Hunt for Cleopatra’s Tomb (On the hunt for Cleopatra’s grave), to be released this Thursday in the United Kingdom, as recorded by the British media, The Guardian.
Source: The Guardian
