When found, the “beauty” was wearing a silk dress, on her chest was a bag of pine nuts, which the ancients believed could help the dead pass smoothly into the afterlife.
The remains of the 2,000-year-old “beauty” were discovered in the reservoir upstream of the giant hydroelectric dam up to 242 m high, in the Yenisei River, Siberia, southern Russia, Mirror reported on June 22.
The mummy is so well preserved that the silk costume is still intact.
Scientists say they discovered the remains by accident when the water in the dam receded to a critical level, “exposing” the burial site.
When found, the “beauty” was wearing a silk dress, on her chest was a bag of pine nuts, which the ancients believed could help the dead pass smoothly into the afterlife.
Besides, there is also a makeup box, inside containing birch bark and a small mirror.
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Archaeologist Marina Kilunovskaya, from the St Petersburg Institute for the History of Cultural Materials, said: “During the excavation we happened to discover the mummy of a young woman. It is extremely well preserved. We found that the remains were preserved in a natural way without any prior intention.”
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Natalya Solovieva, deputy director of the St Petersburg Institute for the History of Cultural Materials, said: ‘We believe what was on the mummy was a silk dress, in addition to a beaded belt.
The hydroelectric dam where the mummy was discovered.
Experts are working to restore the woman’s remains. This could help scientists know exactly when the remains were buried.