Two Egyptian mummies have been residing in the foundations of a fast food restaurant for more than 70 years, it was revealed Wednesday, said a report published by icBirmingham.
John Harper, a historian from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was quoted by the news site as saying that “the entombed bodies had remained underneath the town's old Palace cinema - now a McDonald's - since 1935.”
They were laid there at the instigation of their owner, the Rev William McGregor, who had built up a large collection of artifacts he had brought back from Egypt for a museum he opened at his home.
Harper said that the McGregor had originally buried the mummies at the bottom of his garden, but decided to move them after they began to deteriorate.
Confirmation of their existence was revealed by a former owner of the Palace before its redevelopment, he said.
According to the source, McGregor asked the site foreman if he could bury the mummies in the foundations during building work for the construction of the Palace.
Harper said “the foundations looked like the kind of burial sites he had seen in Egypt, so he asked the foreman if he would mind if he deposited a couple of his mummies in the foundations.
“We have not been able to establish the identity of the mummies.
A spokeswoman for McDonald's was reported by the website as saying “it is something we were completely unaware of, but it is fascinating.
“We understand they are well within the foundations so an excavation is out of the question, unfortunately,” said spokeswoman for McDonald's – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
