A significant discovery has emerged regarding a museum piece located in Argentina: the sarcophagus exhibited in the show "Science and Fantasy: Egyptology and Egyptophilia in Argentina" at the National Museum of Fine Arts. This exhibition has attracted nearly 200,000 visitors in four months and features a glass case that houses a male mummy, which is estimated to be almost 5,000 years old. Researchers are actively studying this mummy, which has spurred interest in its possible identity and historical context.

Initially believed to belong to a soldier or a farmer, investigations into the sarcophagus have raised intriguing questions due to its unique design. The sarcophagus, featuring the so-called "bearer of the beard," an attribute reserved for pharaohs and the god Osiris, suggests a higher social standing than initially assumed. This has led researchers to contemplate whether the mummy could actually be that of a priest or even a pharaoh from the early dynasties of Egypt, a time when the kingdom was still in its formative years.

The 1888 acquisition of the mummy by Dard is pivotal, as it places the discovery within a historical context that highlights the importance of Egyptology in Argentina. As experts continue to delve into the implications of this ancient relic, it not only captures the imagination of the public but also contributes to the broader understanding of ancient civilizations and their legacies.