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Egyptologists have discovered a 2,500 - year - old tomb just south of Cairo contain legion witching locution meant to ward off snake sharpness .
The tomb ’s entrance was covered with sayings direct to both ward off serpent bites and enlist snakes as tomb protectors , the archaeologists said in a translatedstatement .
Part of the sarcophagus with the engraving of the Egyptian god Banebjedet.
" Such a strong emphasis on snake spells was probably the consequence of a personal choice of the grave owner , as no similar case with such excessive aid to these spell is known,“Miroslav Bárta , director of the Czech Institute of Egyptology ’s research at Abúsír , where the tomb was find , told Live Science in an electronic mail .
Recent work indicate thatvenomous snake were more commoninancient Egyptthan they are now . Archaeologists often bump tombs in Egypt that have some of these magical , or apotropaic , sayings against snake chomp — but not the vast figure visit in this tomb , Bárta said .
Abúsír contains a huge number of tombs , along with several Pyramid . This exceptional tomb belongs to a man named Džehutiemhat , a royal scribe who live on about 2,500 years ago around the time when theancient Persianscontrolled Egypt , according to the command .
The sarcophagus and tomb of Dzhehutiemhat.
While much of Džehutiemhat ’s grave was rob in ancient multiplication , his sarcophagus with fond skeletal remains was still there . Analysis of these remains unwrap that he was around 25 years erstwhile when he give-up the ghost and that he suffered from a severe pillowcase of osteoporosis — a condition that make osseous tissue to become weak and brittle . This " seems to be a part of his DNA setup because [ osteoporosis ] ordinarily occur in a later old age , " Bárta allege . Other people buried in nearby tombs also bear from osteoporosis , which suggest they may have been family line penis , according to the program line .
Džehutiemhat ’s sarcophagus turn back a number of school text and engraving . The lid of his sarcophagus contains what modern - day assimilator call chapter 178 of theBook of the Dead .
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The upper part of the tomb.
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The Book of the Dead is a serial of piece that serve the deceased pilot the underworld , among other thing . This particular chapter of the Book of the Dead contains program line and spell that relate to the scene up of the corpse , University College Londonnotedon its website . The sarcophagus also has engravings of Egyptian deity , including the ram - headed god Banebdjedet and the sun god Re ( also spelled Ra ) .
Excavation at the site and analysis of the remains are ongoing .
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