Home Arrow FAQs Arrow What is the oddest thing found in a tomb in Egypt?

What is the oddest thing found in a tomb in Egypt?

Speaking about ancient Egypt, the majority of people are ready to hear about the gold treasures, mummies, and hieroglyphs. However, the archaeologists have unearthed a few really weird and surprising things hidden in the Egyptian tombs over the years -things that are definitely beyond extraordinary. What then is the strangest thing to have been discovered in a tomb in Egypt?

So, here are some of the most bizarre things ever found in the country of pharaohs 100 percent on the basis of the fact, historical background, and archeological observations.

A dagger made from Meteorite (King Tutankhamun’s tomb)

The dagger that was buried with King Tutankhamun is perhaps the most mysterious and otherworldly item that has ever been placed in an Egyptian tomb. At the time of its discovery, it had appeared to be a simply exquisitely made weapon. However, when scientists examined this more closely, they found that the metal in the dagger was not of this earth - it was composed of extraterrestrial iron, most probably a meteorite that crashed earth many thousands of years ago.

The dagger was put right on the body of the young king, maybe to guard him in the next world. Its construction and heavenly pedigree point to the religious nature of the ancient Egyptian people -and their capacity to utilize rare and secretive materials years before contemporary science.

Mummified stillborn fetuses

Within the tomb of king Tutankhamun, archaeologists discovered two mummified stillborn fetuses, who were possibly his daughters. Though the ancient Egyptians did mummify high-status people and animals, it is very odd to encounter the preserved remains of infants in a royal tomb.

Presumably, these little mummies were to keep the young pharaoh company in the afterlife, as the Egyptian philosophical tradition strongly believes that the soul does not stop its existence after death, taking with it the family, the property and the servants.

A Mummified cat in a Priestess’s tomb

Ancient Egyptian culture considered cats as sacred animals and usually linked them with the goddess Bastet. In Saqqara, archaeologists have found mummified cats buried near or with humans, suggesting strong symbolic or personal ties, though detailed records of specific priestesses like 'Tamit' are scarce. While cat mummification was common in ancient Egypt, it was unusual to find one buried together with a human, suggesting a special symbolic or personal relationship between the priestess and the animal.

This gives the idea of some particular relation between the priestess and the animal, or maybe, some additional symbolism related to her ritual in religious life.

An Etruscan book wrapped around a Mummy

The Liber Linteus, the only known linen book written in Etruscan, was later discovered wrapped around a mummy likely prepared for 19th-century export, suggesting a unique case of historical repurposing rather than a native Egyptian burial.

This book, called the Liber Linteus Zagrebiensis, proved to be a religious calendar - the only linen book in the world to have survived. How a Etruscan manuscript came to be in Egypt is a mystery to everyone, though the linkage of the two ancient cultures is an interesting tale.

Boats, board games, and throwing sticks

Ancient Egyptians also believed that life did not end with death and a lot of tombs incorporate the belief in inventive manners. The builder of the Great Pyramid, pharaoh Khufu, was entombed with a full-sized 144-foot boat — presumably to sail in the afterlife.

The throwing sticks (used to hunt birds), board games (perhaps variations on Senet or Mehen) and even foodstuffs (grapes, melons and barley) were included in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. They may not be called odd, but these objects provide a very personal and human insight into what the Egyptians considered the most important things in life - and what they wanted to possess after death.

Curses and magic spells

Certain tombs, especially royal tombs, bear inscriptions threatening those who would disturb the dead. The idea of “curses” may seem superstitious, but a great number of ancient Egyptians did believe in protective spells that would help to safeguard their soul and their possessions.

These inscriptions were not simply intended to warn away grave robbers; these were thought to possess actual power in the underworld.

Final thoughts

And what is the most strange thing in an Egyptian tomb? The solution may be the meteorite dagger, the Etruscan book, the mummified cat, the infant mummies, - each is unique, and startling, and illustrative in its manner.

And these findings do not only remind of the material prosperity of ancient Egypt, but also of the highly spiritual and symbolic reality in which the Egyptians believed. Death to them was not the end, but the start of the new journey, with all the familiar comfort, protection, and mystery.

And with the help of modern archaeology, we are allowed to uncover the parts of that mystery, one tomb at a time.

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