Archaeologists make incredible discovery inside 3500-year-old Egyptian mummy's sarcophagus

The sarcophagus is just one of the many artefacts found by archaeologists excavating in this area.

By Alice Scarsi, World News Reporter

Archaeologists lifting the lid of a sarcophagus

An important archaeological discovery has gained internet fame (Image: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

An important archaeological discovery has gained internet fame after some social media users linked it to a popular TV show.

Archaeologists conducting research in the Egyptian city of Minya unearthed last year a 3500-year-old sarcophagus.

The remarkable find contained the mummified remains of Tadi Ist, the daughter of the high priest of El-Ashmunein - a town some 27 miles south of Minya.

The sarcophagus presented bright and well-preserved decorations on both its outside and inside.

What attracted the attention of social media platform Reddit, however, was a picture of the paintings in the inner lid.

Painting of a woman inside the lid of a sarcophagus

Some internet users believe the painting resembles Marge Simpson (Image: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The lid included the image of a woman, whose skin presented a yellow hue, donning a green sleeveless dress and a tall blue hat.

This painting was surrounded by 12 high priestesses, each representing one hour of the day.

Experts believe the woman, the centrepiece of the drawing, represented Tadi Ist travelling to the afterlife.

Commenting on it, the Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary General Mostafa Waziry told The Egyptian Gazette: "It is a rare and important scene ever. Every scene of the hour has its shape."

The mummy covered in a mask and beaded dress

The mummy was covered with a mask and beaded dress (Image: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

But Redditors weren't struck by how well-preserved the colours were or the meaning behind the decorations.

Rather, some stated she bore a striking resemblance to Marge Simpson, one of the main characters of Fox's long-running cartoon The Simpsons.

One Redditor joked that "Egypt predicted Simpsons", while another simply posted: "Marge?"

The finding of the mummy, who was covered with a mask and beaded dress, followed excavations at the site in Minya started in 2017, which uncovered many artefacts including pottery, canopic jars and a piece of papyrus talking about the Book of the Dead.

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