Archaeologists have uncovered 18 ancient tombs containing 24 gold tongue-shaped amulets and a collection of well-preserved artifacts at an archaeological site on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, providing new evidence of funerary traditions practiced more than 2,000 years ago.
The discovery was made about 100 kilometers west of Alexandria at a site believed to be part of the ancient city of Locaspis, a thriving commercial and urban center that flourished from the Hellenistic through the Byzantine periods and played an important role in Mediterranean trade during the first centuries AD.
Researchers said 11 tombs were carved into bedrock nearly eight meters underground, while seven limestone tombs were constructed above the surface. Many burial chambers remained sealed with their original stone coverings, preserving their contents in exceptional condition.
Among the most significant finds were 24 gold tongue-shaped amulets placed inside the mouths of the deceased. Ancient Egyptians believed the symbolic gold tongues would allow the dead to speak before the gods—particularly Osiris, the god of the afterlife—during the final judgment.
Excavations also uncovered pottery, limestone altars, ritual basins and other funerary objects, offering fresh insight into burial customs during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Archaeologists said the discoveries highlight how Egyptian religious traditions continued alongside Greek cultural influences after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great.
One of the most notable finds was a limestone shrine containing an unfinished marble statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite beside a symbolic Egyptian false door, an architectural feature believed to provide a passage between the living and the dead. Researchers said the combination reflects the cultural and religious blending that characterized ancient Egypt under Greek and Roman rule.
Another tomb contained a 2.5-meter granite sarcophagus with its original lid still sealed. Archaeologists also discovered the remains of a plaster sphinx nearby and are continuing investigations to determine the identity of the individual buried inside.
The excavation has increased the number of known burial complexes in this section of Egypt’s Mediterranean coast to about 45, reinforcing the area’s importance as a major archaeological landscape.
Egypt remains one of the world’s richest archaeological regions, with discoveries in recent years continually reshaping understanding of its ancient civilizations. Excavations have revealed how Egyptian traditions evolved under successive Greek and Roman administrations while preserving core religious beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife.
Gold tongue amulets have been uncovered at a handful of Egyptian sites over the past decade, but the discovery of 24 examples in a single excavation represents one of the largest such finds in recent years. Archaeologists say the latest discovery offers valuable evidence of the enduring importance of funerary rituals and cultural exchange in ancient Egypt.
