Iranian Scientists Wrap up Case of Fake Mummy

Sunday 14 January 2001

Tehran - The disputed "ancient" mummy of a Persian princess recently found in the Pakistani border province of Baluchistan is in fact a worthless fake, press reports said on Sunday.

Iranian archaeologists who examined the specimen "concluded that the mummy is a phony and without any cultural value," several newspapers reported. They said the team will make public its findings in the coming days. The mummy was at first thought to be that of Princess Rudomona, sister of Achaemenian leader Cyrus the Great.

Television images of the mummy showed images of Ahura-Mazda, the god of Zoroastrianism, the ancient state religion. Pakistan and Iran had been squabbling over the rights to the mummy after its discovery in October.

It was found in the possession of a tribal leader who was arrested along with another man. Both are facing a maximum penalty of 10 years jail, Pakistani police said at the time.

Source: Sapa-AFP