The mummified body of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh was first studied in millennia after being digitally “unwrapped”.
The mummy of Amenhotep 1, who ruled from 1525 to 1504 BC, was found at a site in Deir el-Bahari 140 years ago.
But archaeologists refrained from opening it to preserve the exquisite face mask and bandages. CT scans have now revealed previously unknown information about the pharaoh and his burial.
Sahar Saleem, a professor of radiology at Cairo University and lead author of the study published in Frontiers in Medicine, said Amenhotep 1 was about 35 years old when he died.
“He was about 169 cm tall, circumcised and had good teeth. Inside his casing, he wore 30 amulets and a unique gold belt with gold beads,” she told PA Media.
“Amenhotep 1 appears to have physical resemblances to his father: he had a narrow chin, a small, thin nose, curly hair, and slightly protruding upper teeth.”
However, Saleem said that no wounds or disfigurement due to any illness were identified that would indicate the cause of death.
The researchers were able to gain insights into the mummification and burial of Amenhotep, who was the second king of the 18th Dynasty, including that he was the first pharaoh to have his forearms crossed over his chest and that, exceptionally, his brain was not removed. .
They also concluded that the mummy was “lovingly reformed” by priests from the 21st Dynasty, who ruled nearly four centuries after his death.
Scans showed that the mummy suffered several post-mortem injuries that were likely caused by grave robbers.
They also showed that the priests fixed the detached head and neck to the body with a resin-treated linen band, covered a defect in the abdominal wall with a band and placed two amulets underneath, and wrapped the left arm apart from the body.
Saleem said the jewelry and amulets seen in the exams belie theories that the priests could have removed them for use by later pharaohs.
The mummy of Amenhotep 1 was reburied by priests in the Cache Royal Deir el-Bahari, a complex of tombs and temples near Luxor, to keep it safe.
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