The medieval crypt protected by magic

A mysterious 900-year-old crypt covered floor to ceiling in ‘magical’ inscriptions has been uncovered in Sudan. 

The crypt, which was found containing seven naturally mummified bodies, was excavated in a monastery at Old Dongola - the capital of a lost medieval kingdom that flourished in the Nile Valley.

One of the mummies is thought to be that of Archbishop Georgios, an extremely powerful religious leader in the ancient Makuria kingdom. 

The inscriptions on the walls of the crypt were written with black ink on a layer of whitewash and have been identified as Greek and Sahidic Coptic.

Excerpts from the gospels of Luke, John, Mark and Matthew, as well as magical names and signs, were found on the walls.

A prayer given by the Virgin Mary, at the end of which death appears to her ‘in the form of a rooster’ was also uncovered.

Researchers believe the inscriptions served as protection for the deceased against evil powers.

They were ‘intended to safeguard not only the tomb, but primarily those who were buried inside of it during the dangerous liminal period between the moment of dying and their appearance before the throne of God,’ wrote Adam Lajtar of the University of Warsaw, in the journal Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean.
According to the researchers, Archbishop Georgios’ epitaph was found nearby, stating that he died in A.D. 1113 at the age of 82. They believe one of the mummified bodies within the crypt is of the religious leader.

The other mummies within the crypt were of men all over 40 years of age, said anthropologist Robert Mahler.

They were all dressed very simply in linen clothing and the crypt was likely sealed after the last of the burials took place.

‘The entrance to the chamber was closed with red bricks bonded in mud mortar,’ Professor Godlewski, the current director of the Polish Mission to Dongola, said.

At the time the crypt was created, Makuria was at its height. Its kings, ruling from Old Dongola, controlled territory throughout much of modern-day Sudan and parts of southern Egypt.

The kingdom was prosperous between 750 and 1150. However, increased hostility from Egypt, and internal discord led to the state's collapse in the 14th century.

The crypt was first found in 1993 by the Polish Mission to Dongola. Research to understand the inscriptions are ongoing and a complete record of the texts is to be revealed in the near future.


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