"Sleeping Beauty" is the name of a 2,000-year-old skeleton and other remains uncovered by archeologists in the ancient biblical city of Aksum, located in modern-day Ethiopia not far from the Red Sea.
The archeologist who found the skeleton, Louise Schofield, a former curator at the British Museum, believes it could be the remains of the Queen of Sheba,
CNN reported.
"She must have been very wealthy, and probably well-loved to be placed in this position, and judging by all the items of finery around her," said Schofield, who referred to the skeleton's restful pose. "There was something very personal about the way she was lying."
The skeleton, which lies on its side with its chin rested upon its hand, was entombed with its gaze cast toward a Roman-era bronze mirror, and surrounded by glass vessels containing precious items.
"The food, drink, and cosmetics were all presumably left for her to use in the afterlife. She was pre-Christian and that's how people buried their dead then," said Schofield.
The items found in the tomb suggest that Aksum began trading with Rome as much as 200 years prior to what archeologists and historians previously thought. In return for items like those found in the tomb, Rome likely received ivory tusks, frankincense, and metals from Ethiopia,
according to Archeology.org.
"The story of the Queen of Sheba has a central place in the heart of all Ethiopians," said Schofield. She said the excavation is ongoing, that that she and her colleagues hope the dig will reveal key aspects of Ethiopia's ancient history.
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