By: Taarek Refaat
Explorer Josh Gates has traveled thousands of miles to land in the "Mother of the World" Egypt to investigate one of the greatest cultures in ancient history.
Gates was granted access to one of the most daring adventures at the excavation site of an ancient Egyptian secret chamber, uncovered for the first time live on the Discovery Channel's show "Expedition Unknown".
During the adventure, Gates was accompanied by renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri.
The mummy inside the sarcophagus has not been revealed for as many as 3,000 years. "The gigantic secret chamber is full of treasures and antiquities, which has never been touched before," Gates said.
As Gates and Hawass enter, they noticed a limestone sarcophagus, with a cover that weighs more than tone, buried deep inside the chamber.
[caption id="attachment_44398" align="aligncenter" width="550"]
Zahi Hawass & Josh Gates inspecting the sarcophagus[/caption]
A mummy was found inside the sarcophagus wearing a stunning golden mask and a refined necklace. Wings of the Goddess Isis were attached along the body on both sides of the mummy.
"When King Khufu was outraged, they had 40 ladies sing for him, and during the ceremony, one of the singer's necklaces fell in the Nile, however, priests were able to restore it again," Hawass said, adding that the mummy is one of these singers.
He pointed out that the 2,500 years old mummy must have had a spouse, who truly admired her to place such wonderful accessories on her face and body.
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The golden mask mummy[/caption]
The two explorers reached further around 30-50 feet beneath the desert, in a vertical path heading for a robbed tomb. Another sarcophagus was found, yet, broken in the same manner as the first one.
"Both sarcophaguses were broken in the same way, representing the methods robbers used in the ancient times," Hawass noted, adding that there is a tomb robbery papyrus explaining detailed methods used during that era.
Several Shabtis were found alongside the sarcophagus. The tiny statuses served the deceased in their journey to the afterworld. "one of them is a singer of the ancient god Thoth," Hawass said.
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Shabtis found beside the sarcophagus[/caption]
A third wooden coffin, with hieroglyphics inscribed on the top, was discovered along a narrow path filled with skulls and Shabtis. The coffin belongs to the priest "Weret Arti" relating to the great of five. However, no mummy was found inside the coffin, which dates back to the twenty-sixth dynasty.
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The wooden coffin discovered with one eye installed[/caption]
Only 30 percent of ancient Egyptian monuments were discovered until now," Hawass stated, adding that during the ancient times, Egyptians held around 300 annual feasts, where different cities had their own celebrations. The upcoming feast on the ancient calendar is "Wagy", which will take place on August 18. In the Wagy feast, families paid tribute to their ancestors, 17 days after the New Year's celebrations.
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