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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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