The well-preserved 2-500-year-old mummy of the ancient Egyptian high priest. (Discovery Channel)
Archaeologists uncovered the 2,500-year-old remains of a powerful ancient Egyptian high priest in dramatic fashion on Sunday.
The opening of the priest’s stone sarcophagus was broadcast by the Discovery Channel during “Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live,” a two-hour live event. Archaeologists discovered what they describe as an “exquisitely preserved” mummy inside the sealed sarcophagus, covered in gold banding.
The incredible find was made at Al-Ghorifa, a remote site about 165 miles south of Cairo. Located within the inner chambers of the burial site, experts accessed the sarcophagus via a network of ancient tunnels.
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Two other mummies were found at the site, one of which appears to be a female, discovered inside a “Family Tomb” alongside objects such as an ancient board game, the remains of a family dog and four jars containing the mummy’s organs.
Archaeologists opened a sealed stone sarcophagus to discover the high priest's mummified remains. (Discovery Channel)
In a statement, Discovery Channel explained that the third mummy discovered was not a high priest or well preserved. Nonetheless, objects in the tomb and inscriptions on the sarcophagus indicate that he was a singer in the temple of Thoth, an ancient Egyptian god.
Archaeologists also discovered an incredible 2,500-year-old wax head, which is thought to be a cast of “Irt Hrw,” one of the high priests.
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The necropolis has been largely shrouded in mystery, although another high priest’s sarcophagus was discovered nearby in 1927. The mummy, however, was missing from the tomb.
Archaeologists also discovered a 2,500-year-old wax head, which is thought to be a cast of High Priest “Irt Hrw." (Discovery Channel)
Sunday’s live event kicks off the new season of “Expedition Unknown,” which premieres April 10 on Discovery Channel.
Egypt continues to reveal fresh details of its rich history. The secrets of a mysterious “Tomb of the Warriors,” for example, were recently revealed in a PBS documentary.
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Archaeologists have also discovered the wreck of an extremely rare vessel that traveled the Nile around 2,500 years ago, solving an ancient puzzle.
The opening of the high-priest's sarcophagus was broadcast live by Discovery Channel. (Discovery Channel)
In another project, archaeologists recently found a large ram-headed sphinx that is linked to King Tutankhamun’s grandfather. In other projects, a teenage girl’s skeleton was discovered in a mysterious grave near the Meidum pyramid, south of Cairo.
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Last month, experts announced the discovery of dozens of mummies in ancient desert burial chambers. Archaeologists also recently explained the strange brown spots on some of the paintings in King Tutankhamun’s tomb.
In January, archaeologists announced the discovery of ancient tombs in the Nile Delta north of Cairo. In a separate project, two ancient tombs dating back to the Roman period were uncovered in Egypt’s Western Desert.
In November 2018, researchers confirmed the discovery of eight limestone sarcophagi containing mummies at a site 25 miles south of Cairo. Last year, researchers also uncovered a "massive" building that was once part of Egypt’s ancient capital city.
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In another project, archaeologists discovered a stunning sphinx statue at an ancient temple in southern Egypt.
Last summer, experts unlocked the secrets of a mysterious ancient ‘cursed’ black granite sarcophagus. The massive coffin, which was excavated in the city of Alexandria, was found to contain three skeletons and gold sheets with the remains.
Archaeologists also found the oldest solid cheese in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient city of Memphis.
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A mummy buried in southern Egypt more than 5,000 years ago has also revealed its grisly secrets, shedding new light on prehistoric embalming practices.
Fox News’ Chris Ciaccia and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers