inscriptions everywhere
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Inscriptions Everywhere!Magical Medieval Crypt Holds
7 Male MummiesBy Owen Jarus, ivecience Contri"utor # $ecem"er %7, &'%( %&)%*pm E+
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The 900-
year-old crypt
(entranceway
shown) uncovered in
Old Dongola in
modern-day Sudan
contains seven
naturally mummified
bodies and walls
covered with
inscriptions written
in ree! and Sahidic
"optic#
"redit$ %olish "entre
of &editerranean
'rchaeology
'rchives
iew full sie image
-''.year.old medieval crypt, containing seven naturally mummi/ied "odies
and walls covered with inscriptions, has "een e0cavated in a monastery at
Old $ongola, the capital o/ a lost medieval 1ingdom that /lourished in the 2ile
3alley4
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Old $ongola is located in modern.day udan, and -'' years ago, it was the
capital o/ Ma1uria, a Christian 1ingdom that lived in peace with its Islamic
neigh"or to the north4
One o/ the mummies in the crypt 5scientists aren6t certain which one is"elieved to "e that o/ rch"ishop 8eorgios, pro"a"ly the most power/ul
religious leader in the 1ingdom4 His epitaph was /ound near"y and says that
he died in 4$4 %%%( at the age o/ 9&4 :+he cience o/ $eath) %' +ales /rom
the Crypt ; Beyond<
Magical inscriptions
+he inscriptions on the walls o/ the crypt, inscri"ed with "lac1 in1 on a thin
layer o/ whitewash 5paint, were written in 8ree1 and ahidic Coptic4 +hey
include e0cerpts /rom the gospels o/ u1e, John, Mar1 and Matthew, magical
names and signs and a prayer given "y the 3irgin Mary, at the end o/ which
death appears to her =in the /orm o/ a rooster4= /ter Mary dies, according to
the te0t, she ascends to heaven with Jesus4
+he -''.year.old crypt, in modern.day udan, was "uilt /or rch"ishop 8eorgios, a power/ul
religious leader in Ma1uria, a 1ingdom that /lourished in the 2ile 3alley during the Middle ges4
Credit) >hoto courtesy ?lod@imier@ 8odlews1i
3iew /ull si@e image
+he inscriptions, written "y =Ioannes,= who le/t a signature on three and
possi"ly /our o/ the walls, li1ely served as protection /or the deceased against
evil powers, the researchers said4
+hey were =intended to sa/eguard not only the tom", "ut primarily those who
were "uried inside o/ it during the dangerous liminal period "etween the
moment o/ dying and their appearance "e/ore the throne o/ 8od,= write dam
Aatar, o/ the niversity o/ ?arsaw, and JacDues van der 3liet, o/ eiden
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niversity, in the most recent edition o/ the ournal >olish rchaeology in the
Mediterranean4
+he crypt contained the "odies o/ seven older males, no younger than ',
said anthropologist Fo"ert Mahler, a researcher with the niversity o/ ?arsawwho e0amined the remains4
+he crypt was li1ely sealed a/ter the last o/ the "urials too1 place4 =+he
entrance to the cham"er was closed with red "ric1s "onded in mud mortar,=
writes ?God@imier@ 8odlews1i, the current director o/ the >olish Mission to
$ongola, in an article in the same ournal4
?hile the mummies6 clothing is very poorly preserved, te0tile specialist
Bar"ara C@aa.@ewc@a1, with the ?ilanw >alace Museum, determined the
men were dressed very simply, mainly in linen garments4 +he garments
=consisted o/ ro"es characteri@ed "y a /airly simple design4 inen
predominated,= she wrote in an article in the same ournal4 t least some o/
the individuals wore crosses somewhere on their "ody4
+he crypt was /irst /ound in %--( "y the >olish Mission to $ongola, which at
the time was led "y director te/an Ja1o"iels1i4 However, it wasn6t e0cavated
until &''-4 $uring e0cavations, the "odies were removed and studied, the
crypt walls cleaned and its inscriptions recorded and studied in greater detail4
Fesearch e//orts are ongoing and a complete record o/ the te0ts is e0pected
to "e detailed in a "oo1 in the /uture4
A lost kingdom
t the time the crypt was created, Ma1uria was at its height4 Its 1ings, ruling
/rom Old $ongola, controlled territory throughout much o/ modern.day udan
and parts o/ southern Egypt4 :ee >hotos o/ udan6s Beauti/ul >yramids<
=+he period "etween the late eighth and %&th centuries is claimed to have"een the golden age o/ Ma1uria,= said rtur O"lus1i, a research associate
with the niversity o/ Chicago6s Oriental Institute and the niversity o/
?arsaw6s >olish Centre o/ Mediterranean rchaeology, at a recent lecture at
+oronto6s Foyal Ontario Museum4
Ma1uria6s a"ility to maintain good relations with its Islamic neigh"or to the
north, the atimid Caliphate, which controlled Egypt, was important to the
1ingdom6s success, said O"lus1i4 +he two had an e0tensive trade relationship,
and many people /rom Ma1uria served in the atimid army4
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ra" historians at the time were impressed "y the Christian monasteries they
saw at Ma1uria4 +hough some reports o/ these monasteries were
e0aggerated, archaeologists have /ound some/antastic medieval churches,
including recently e0cavated e0amples atBanganarti4
Ma1uria6s end came when the yyu"id dynasty too1 control o/ Egypt in 4$4
%%7%4 +hey launched an invasion o/ northern Ma1uria, "ringing a"out a period
o/ decline and eventually the loss o/ the 1ingdom6s independence4
Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article onLiveScience.
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