After 150 years it appears: mummy in forgotten and empty coffin

Archaeologists from the University of Sydney discovered the remains of a mummy in a 2500-year-old coffin, which was always thought to be empty.

The sarcophagus from ancient Egypt has been untouched for more than 150 years in the university museum of the Australian city. When the scientists opened the coffin last year, they saw to their surprise the remains of human feet and bones.

According to the researchers, the remains had been damaged, probably by grave robbers. Hieroglyphics on the coffin show that the coffin was made for a priestess named Mer-Neith-it-es, but sarcophagi do not always contain the remains of those for whom they were intended.

The sarcophagus of Mer-Neith-it-es, together with three other crates of the Nicholson Museum, is exhibited in a new museum on the university grounds.