Egypt has a fascinating history of the way that the dead bodies were prepared for the afterlife. The whole concept of mummifying bodies, placing the favourite objects (and macabrely, favourite creatures) in a crypt and then sealing it all in the giant edifice of a pyramid is perhaps unique in the world. Now archeologists have discovered an ancient sarcophagus with a warning about a curse that befalls anyone who opens it. And if this story doesn’t sound like all the Mummy movies ever made, don’t know what does!
A sarcophagus (a word that literally translates to ‘flesh-eating’) is a coffin or box like structure that forms a container for a dead body. These could be above the ground or buried and would typically be of stone; with or without decorations and markings.
This sarcophagus was recently discovered in Alexandria which is thought to be resting place of Alexander the Great. The newly discovered tomb is almost 10 ft in length, made from black granite and is thought to date back to the Ptolemaic era (in the years between 350 and 30 BC). There is evidence to show that the sarcophagus has been untouched since it was sealed: the layer of mortar between the coffin’s lid and its body is undisturbed.
This relic was discovered in the course of ongoing construction work. This sculpted alabaster head of a man was also unearthed along with the sarcophagus. There is a lot of speculation about the identity of the sarcophagus; including that this could be the sarcophagus of Alexander himself; whose final resting place was never found. Of course this is simply wild speculation and most unlikely in view of the simplicity and unremarkable construction of the sarcophagus. It is quite likely that the relic could belong to a priest or nobleman of the era.
Anything to do with the dead is always viewed with some amount of fear; especially if it has lain underground for two thousand years. This post by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities obviously created ripples.
Predictably, social media commentators have issued dire warnings about the terrible fate that would befall those who opened the relic (or possibly all mankind?) or the triggering of an ancient curse because the dead were disturbed!
Brendan Frazer, Tom Cruise and many other worthies before them have told us great and ghastly stories about the fate of those who would disturb the dead – at their own peril!
Is it any wonder that everyone’s horror-movie-antenna is up!
Many express the view that with war, revolts, poverty, hunger and strife already rife in the world, things are pretty bad anyway… open the sarcophagus; how much worse can things get from hereon!
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