00:00Egyptian archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery near Cairo just recently.
00:05Drumroll, please!
00:07The most ancient and most complete mummy yet discovered in the country.
00:11Yes, they were keeping it under wraps.
00:14The 4,300-year-old mummy was found in a group of tombs close to the steppe pyramid of Djoser
00:20dating back to the Egyptian Old Kingdom.
00:23It was covered in layers of gold.
00:25The team also found several other tombs, including one belonging to an ancient Egyptian
00:30official and another belonging to a secret keeper who had the power to perform special
00:35ceremonies.
00:36Another interesting tomb was that of a writer, which featured the largest statues ever found
00:41in the area.
00:42This vast burial site is also home to more than a dozen pyramids and resting grounds.
00:48Probably one of the most famous mummies in the world is that of Hatshepsut.
00:52She ruled Egypt like a boss for around 20 years, building all sorts of impressive buildings
00:57and creating new trade routes.
01:00But when archaeologist Howard Carter found her tomb in the Valley of the Kings, her sarcophagus
01:05was empty.
01:06However, Carter did find two coffins in another tomb, one of which belonged to Hatshepsut's
01:12wet nurse and the other to an unknown woman.
01:15In 2006, a team of specialists decided to investigate whether that mysterious lady was
01:21the queen herself.
01:22They found a molar tooth in a wooden box with Hatshepsut's name on it, and when they compared
01:28it to a gap in the mummy's mouth, it was a perfect match.
01:32Ramses II was a pretty impressive ruler, but it was his mummy that eventually made history.
01:38We don't hear too much about his daddy.
01:40Okay, I'll stop.
01:42Ramses is considered to be the most powerful pharaoh in all of Egypt, as he reigned for
01:47a whopping 6 decades.
01:49He also lived to be over 90 years old.
01:51That's pretty amazing, considering the time he lived in.
01:54Ramses II supposedly had over 100 offspring, too.
01:59Talk about a big family!
02:00When he passed away, his body was originally buried in the Valley of the Kings.
02:05But some sneaky guys tried to rob his tomb of all his treasures.
02:09Officials back in the day weren't having any of that, though, so they moved his body
02:13to a secret location to keep it safe.
02:16Fast forward to the 1800s, and Ramses II's mummy was discovered, along with a bunch of
02:22other rulers and important officials.
02:24But it wasn't in the best condition, so archaeologists flew it to Paris to get it,
02:30well, pampered.
02:31Problem was, he couldn't just be transported into another country.
02:36The only solution available was to give Ramses II his own passport.
02:41His occupation was listed as king, and the document even featured his photo.
02:46You know, most mummies aren't necessarily known for having the most hydrated skin.
02:51But that of an ancient woman, also known as Lady Di, proves otherwise.
02:56No, not that Lady Di.
02:58This wealthy lady from ancient times was discovered in an ornate tomb in 1971, and she looked
03:04fabulous if we can say so about a mummy.
03:08Thanks to the special conditions in her tomb, like the moisture in the environment and the
03:12lack of oxygen, her body was almost perfectly preserved.
03:15Her skin was soft, her hair was on point, and she was still flexible.
03:20The museum that now proudly displays her mummy also shows a ton of fancy items that were
03:25buried with her, like dinnerware and musical instruments.
03:30Archaeologists investigated the mummy further and discovered that she passed away from a
03:34heart attack at around 50 years old.
03:37Even though it hasn't been around for over 2,000 years, Lady Di is still making history.
03:44The mummy of Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in the Alps in 1991.
03:49Austrian authorities initially thought he was a modern mountaineer because he was so
03:53well-preserved.
03:54Turns out, he was actually from the Copper Age.
03:58He was found in a mountain pass over 10,000 feet above sea level.
04:02Through studying his mummy, we've learned so much about life in Copper Age Europe.
04:07For example, we know that he was a native of Central Europe and enjoyed eating meat.
04:12He also suffered from arthritis, narrowing arteries, and intestinal problems.
04:17But he likely used acupuncture and medicinal herbs to treat these conditions.
04:22And apparently, he was pretty handy with tools.
04:25He sharpened them just days before his untimely demise.
04:29Who knows if he was expecting trouble or just getting ready for some routine work.
04:36King Tut in his story is most likely the one that made all mummies famous.
04:41This pharaoh passed away at the young age of 19, more than 3,000 years ago.
04:46But his mummy is still one of the most well-known in the world.
04:50When his tomb was opened in 1922, people went wild because it was still intact, unlike many
04:56other royal tombs.
04:57It had some seriously blinged-out coffins, including one made of solid gold.
05:03Not only did Tut's tomb give us a glimpse into ancient Egyptian history, but his mummy
05:07also taught us a lot about the time he lived in.
05:11DNA analysis helped identify his parents and revealed that the pharaoh had a rare bone
05:16disorder that might've made walking a bit tough.
05:21Ginger is most likely one of the coolest mummies you'll ever hear about.
05:25He's like a time traveler from 5,000 years ago who's still looking fly with his golden
05:30hair and perfectly preserved nails.
05:33Ginger was discovered in Egypt and is believed to be the earliest known mummified body.
05:39Before people even knew about mummification, they used to place bodies in shallow graves
05:44in the hot dry sand.
05:46And since the sand absorbed all the water, bacteria couldn't reproduce, and the body
05:50was preserved naturally.
05:52Now scientists are not sure if Ginger's preservation was intentional or not.
05:57But since he was buried with some pottery vessels, it's likely that whoever buried
06:01him knew some serious preservation techniques.
06:04If you want to meet Ginger in person, he's currently chilling at the British Museum.
06:10One Dutch art collector bought a statue from Asia and ended up finding a weird discovery.
06:15The statue contained a mummy hidden inside.
06:19Unfortunately, the body was too fragile to move, so they had to leave it there.
06:24The coolest part is that this mummy is over a thousand years old and was on display for
06:28200 years before being encased in the statue.
06:32When scientists did a CT scan, they found out that the mummy was filled with paper scraps
06:37covered in writings.
06:39Experts think he might have done this thing called self-mummification, which is a pretty
06:43intense process involving a special diet and tea that makes your body less prone to bacteria.
06:50Only a few people could handle this ritual, and those who managed to do that were seriously
06:55respected.
06:56No other Egyptian queen has baffled scientists and historians like the stunning Nefertiti.
07:03Based on her statues, she was known for her slender neck, wide eyes, and high cheekbones.
07:08Her name translates to the beautiful woman has come.
07:12Talk about living up to your name, huh?
07:14Even though she wasn't a pharaoh herself, Nefertiti still managed to leave a lasting
07:19impression.
07:20Written records suggest that, as a wife and queen, she held an incredibly influential
07:25role.
07:26Because of her power, she was indeed admired, but she also managed to make quite a lot of
07:31enemies throughout her life.
07:33She was also related to King Tut, but not biologically.
07:37Rather, she was his stepmother.
07:40So far, locals have yet to identify her mummy, but that may soon change.
07:44A local Egyptologist who has been busy excavating tombs in the Valley of the Kings has found
07:50two mummies that he believes could be Nefertiti and her daughter.
07:55According to specialists, we may soon finally get a definitive answer about the identity
07:59of these two mummies.
08:01And if one of them does turn out to be Nefertiti, we could be in for a real treat.
08:06DNA analysis and CT scans of the mummy could give us the most complete and accurate image
08:12of the queen that we've ever seen.
08:14It's crazy to think that we've only scratched the surface of what lies beneath modern-day
08:18Egypt.
08:20Nefertiti ruled during a time of great power and prosperity in Egypt, but unfortunately
08:25passed away in a period of social turmoil, leading to her gravesite being lost.
08:31Now, where's my mummy?
08:34That's it for today!
08:36So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
08:40friends.
08:41Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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