The two mummies had been in an inviolate burial chamber for over 2, years, however the presence of water infiltrations has unfortunately damaged their state of conservation. Dr Glenn Godenho, senior lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, described the discovery as phenomenal:. The mummies, subjected to X-ray analysis, belong to a male and a female individual and the wealth that distinguishes them allows us to suppose that they were two members of the priestly class linked to the cult of Isis.
In addition to the two mummies, his team discovered a headless statue of pharaoh , thought to depict King Ptolemy IV , ancestor of Cleopatra, and a foundation slab with an inscription showing how the temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis. And as for this, Dr. At the site of the temple altar, where priests once made offerings to the gods, a treasure trove of coins minted during her reign bearing the name of the queen and her depiction was also discovered.
She also set a precedent for powerful women, Martinez adds. Searching for Cleopatra is not just about searching for a tomb — it's also about uncovering the truth. Who was Cleopatra? She has been portrayed at times as a sinister seductress, a "sex kitten" and a "fast woman," as the documentary shows.
Lively debate has even been devoted to whether she was attractive. Martinez says the ancient ruler was misunderstood, and most of what we knew about her came from the Romans, who considered her a rival. An opposing regime could not be a reliable source on her life and legacy.
Cleopatra was queen at 18 years old, spoke nine languages, studied politics, economics and mathematics. At 21, she was in the Sinai desert, raising an army and plotting her return to the throne.
Her brilliant manoeuvres won personal and strategic alliances with Caesar and Antony, changing the course of history. She wasn't even Egyptian — she was a descendent of Macedonians known as the Ptolemies. She was highly educated and sophisticated, says Okasha El Daly, honorary senior research associate at University College London. The queen committed suicide in 53 BC, after being arrested by the Roman ruler Octavian in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
According to the legend, Cleopatra directed her servants to smuggle poisonous snakes into her makeshift cell, some of which killed her.
Comments 0. She was buried with Antony in a mausoleum a large tomb , ancient writers claimed. Recent media reports have claimed that archaeologists are on the verge of discovering this tomb at a site called "Taposiris Magna," located about 31 miles 50 kilometers west of Alexandria.
For the past 15 years, a team led by Kathleen Martinez has been excavating the site, finding remains that date back to the time of Cleopatra, including a hoard of coins minted during her reign. Similar reports of an imminent tomb discovery also appeared in the news in Related: The 6 most tragic love stories in history. But nearly a dozen scholars with expertise in Cleopatra told Live Science that it's unlikely that Cleopatra was buried at Taposiris Magna.
They also generally agreed that the odds of finding her tomb are slim. Many of the scholars believe that Cleopatra would have been buried within Alexandria, possibly in an area that is now underwater.
Hawass said that he worked with Martinez for more than 10 years at the site and found no evidence that Cleopatra and Antony were buried there.
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