Roman-era tomb with gold tongue amulets unearthed in Egypt's Al-Bahnasa

A Roman-era tomb has been excavated at Al-Bahnasa, the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus, revealing insights into funerary practices from the Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–641 CE). The discovery, announced by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was made by a joint Egyptian-Spanish mission led by archaeologists Esther Pons of the National Archaeological Museum of Spain and Maite Mascort of the University of Barcelona. The tomb contained several mummies wrapped in finely decorated linen, along with three gold tongue-shaped amulets and one copper amulet, intended to enable the deceased to speak in the afterlife. Traces of gold leaf on some mummies indicate complex ceremonial practices. Minister Sherif Fathy highlighted the significance of the find, which adds to a growing series of discoveries in Al-Bahnasa. The same team previously unearthed terracotta figurines of Isis-Aphrodite, a syncretic deity blending Egyptian and Greek traditions. The area, long known for papyri from the Greek and Roman periods, continues to yield exceptional evidence of cultural and religious transformations.