scientist have “ digitally unwrapped ” an ancient Egyptian mummy to discover the expression of a 3,500 - year - old pharaoh without disturbing his delicately preserved facemask ( and maintain any ancient curses at bay ) .
Presented in the journalFrontiers in Medicine , researchers from the University of Cairo describe the process of scanning the mommy of King Amenhotep I , who ruled from 1525 to 1504 BCE and was worshipped as a god after his expiry , and what they could discern about him .
The well - known mummy , decorate with garlands of flower and boast a natural masquerade inset with colorful stones , was rediscovered in modern time in 1881at the archeological internet site Deir el Bahari in southerly Egypt . Though the mummy was briefly uncovered by restorers in the eleventh century to repair the damage from would - be tomb robber , King Amenhotep I remained wrapped up for the next 3,000 years , unlike many othermummiesthat were overzealously analyzed in the 19th and 20th century .
Owing to hisornatelinenwrapping and well - preserved facemask , archaeologists have previously been reluctant to meddle with the mummy of King Amenhotep I. However , CT picture now allows researchers to take a non - invasive peek deep down without the need to disturb the precious body . Not only has this mental imagery revealed fascinating perceptiveness into the pharaoh ’s strong-arm appearance , but it ’s also cast sparkle on the lifetime and demise of this once - proud rule .
“ By digitally unwrapping of the mummy and ‘ peeling off ’ its practical layers – the facemask , the bandage , and the mummy itself – we could study this well - preserved Pharaoh of Egypt in unprecedented detail,”Dr Sahar Saleem , professor of radioscopy at the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University and the radiotherapist of the Egyptian Mummy Project , said in astatement .
“ We show that Amenhotep I was approximately 35 years old when he die . He was approximately 169 cm grandiloquent , circumcized , and had honest teeth , " she explain . “Within his wrappings , he wore 30 amulets and a unique gilt waistcloth with gold bead . "
“ Amenhotep I seems to have physically resemble his father : he had a narrow chin , a small-scale narrow nose , curly pilus , and mildly protruding upper teeth , ” Saleem added .
The pharaoh ’s skull , include his teeth in good term . Image credit entry : S. Saleem and Z. Hawass
It appears thatmummifiers had removed the intestinesfrom the eubstance , although the spirit and brain remained in place . The CT scans did not unveil any sign of disease or wounds , so the researchers were not capable to name a cause of death .
King Amenhotep I was the 2d pharaoh of Egypt ’s eighteenth dynasty . The first ruler of this dynasty was his father Ahmose I , who had boot out the invading Hyksos from the Nile Delta and successfully reunify Egypt . This full point is think to be somewhat of a Golden Age of ancient Egypt , defined by successfulness , peace of mind , and some significant cultural developments .
The team behind this latest project has studied 40 royal mummies of the New Kingdom since the Egyptian Antiquity Ministry Project that was set up in 2005 . This , however , could be just the beginning of what cutting - edge imagingcould bring to our understandingof ancient Egypt and beyond , the researchers say .
“ We show that CT imagery can be fruitfully used in anthropological and archeologic studies on mummies , including those from other civilizations , for deterrent example , Peru , ” the study authors conclude .
