A few days ago, reports about the discovery of an intact sarcophagus in Egypt started to come out. Well, this story just got even more interesting. It turns out that, last Thursday, an Egyptian archaeologists’ excavation team found a mummy covered in gold leaf inside a well that was 15 meters deep. This occurred in the Saqqara necropolis, one of the most spectacular tourist sites in Egypt.
The news remained as just an extraordinary discovery until some people started to pay more attention to the findings. The impressive sarcophagus was rectangular, made of limestone, and had belonged, according to experts, to a man named Heka-Shapes. In addition to this piece, the archaeologists discovered more shafts that led them to other tombs of people who lived in Ancient Egypt. Suddenly, it turned out that one of those graves belonged to a man named Messi. Just as you read it!
A Mummy Mamed “Messi” Was Found in Egypt
For those who believe that we are making up a science fiction story about Lionel Messi, here is the exact statement of Zahi Hawass, director of the excavation team and part of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, about the other tombs that were found in the famous necropolis of Saqqara:
“The most important tomb belonged to Khnum-die-ef, who was a priest in Una’s pyramid complex. The second most important one belonged to Meri, and the other one to a priest from the pyramid complex of King Pepi I, probably called Messi, which contained nine beautiful statues,” says Hawass.
So, it’s real that there was someone called Messi in Ancient Egypt! Obviously, there is no connection whatsoever with the Argentinian soccer star that has just won the World Cup in Qatar. Despite this, millions of people have been shocked to learn that, officially, thousands of years ago, there lived a person with the same last name as one of the greatest athletes in history. We can’t believe it either!
With information from EFE / Main photo: EFE
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva News
