Archaeologists finally get a closer look at Egyptian mummies first found in 1615

A lot of scientists have tried to study mummies in different ways to find more information about the mummification procedure and its importance in ancient civilization. The archaeologists have finally been able to delve deeper with the help of CT scans. Scientists have scanned two mummies discovered in 1615.

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The pair of mummies from Egypt are important because they are the only remaining Stucco-Shrouded Portrait Mummies. Such mummies were usually found in Sq Qaeda, one of the most notable metropolis cities in ancient Egypt. The mummies were not buried in coffins as seen in the Egyptian mummies photos.  But they were placed on wooden boards and wrapped in clothes and an intricate mummy shroud. Moreover, these stucco shrouded mummies were decorated with 3d plaster, silver, and portraits.

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The details about these unique mummies

As per a journal published on LiveScience.com, alongside these two mummies, another stucco-shrouded mummy from Egypt is used in this recent research. The CT scan or computerized tomography scans help scientists find more details. Hence, the team of archaeologists used CT scans to study the remains of these unique mummies. The CT scan revealed that one of these mummies had the organs in place, which is quite uncommon as Egyptians would remove the internal organs before the mummifying procedure and preserve the organs in separate jars. The two female mummies had intricate necklaces.

As per the CT scan reports, the three individuals are a man, a woman, and a teenage girl who were alive in the later Roman period. The mummies were discovered alongside artifacts that were thought to help them in their after life. The artifacts included coins, which are intended as an offering to the Romans and Greek God Cheron who transported souls to the afterlife over the River Styx.

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The Live Science report also revealed that the man died at the age between 25 and 30. He was nearly 5’4” tall and had cavities on his teeth alongside two unerupted teeth. Moreover, his bones were also broken which shows the sign of unwrapping after discovery. His brain was not preserved. But, there is no confirmation if the brain was removed via the nasal path. The CT scan also found two metal objects which may have been used during mummification. Dr. Stephanie Zesch, a renowned physical anthropologist and egyptologist provided this information. She is the lead researcher of the project at the Reiss Engelhorn Museum in Mannheim, Germany.

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She also added that the internal organs of the woman were also not preserved. The CT scan images showed that the woman who was 4’11’’ tall, probably suffered from arthritis. The team of archaeologists found that the brain and internal organs of the teenage girl were preserved. Although her brain shrunk in size, the cerebrum and brainstem were identified.

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The teenage girl was 5’1’’ tall and probably died when she was 17 to 19 years old. She had a benign tumour of her spine. Since the women had a lot of gold necklaces and there were many artifacts found, Zesch thinks that these individuals probably belonged to the affluent class and had enough money to source the gold.