- Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen
Museum Weltkulturen D5
68159 Mannheim
Germany
- Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, German Mummy Project, Department Memberadd
- Biological Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, Egyptology, Dental Anthropology, Pathology, Anthropology, and 12 moreAnatolian Archaeology, Prehistoric Western Anatolia, Forensic Anthropology, Mortuary archaeology, Funerary Archaeology, Mummy Studies, History, Museum Studies, Provenance research, Post-Colonialism, Repatriation of Indigenous Human Remains, and Digital Humanitiesedit
- I am a physical anthropologist and Egyptologist working as the curator of the archaeological collection at the Reiss-... moreI am a physical anthropologist and Egyptologist working as the curator of the archaeological collection at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum in Mannheim, Germany. I further investigate mummified human remains from different time periods and provenances as part of my work for the German Mummy Project. For my PhD thesis, I am studying Egyptian child mummies particulary focusing on age-at-death, sex, diseases, possible cause of death, applied mummification methods and state of soft tissue preservation.edit
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Among the 70 items donated by the abbot Antonio Pietro Paternostro to the former National Museum of Palermo (now Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum) in 1870, an ancient Egyptian mummified human head stands out. In 2022 the finding was... more
Among the 70 items donated by the abbot Antonio Pietro Paternostro to the former National Museum of Palermo (now Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum) in 1870, an ancient Egyptian mummified human head stands out. In 2022 the finding was submitted for a multidisciplinary investigation that relied upon non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches. Investigations revealed that this is a possible female head, which was likely subjected to trans-nasal craniotomy, and dated to the Egyptian Graeco-Roman period. The head was packed with an abundant amount of resin which was analysed using thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The analysis suggested that the resin was most likely comprised of a natural resin, pitch, or tar, from the Pinaceae family of conifers, and mixed with other materials including a fat, oil, or wax. The use of multiple sample preparation techniques for the chromatographic analysis provided a high level of confidence in the identification of a wide variety of compounds, including a range of himachalene derivatives, which indicate the inclusion of cedar tar or oil.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anemias in ancient Egyptian child mummies. Whole-body computed tomography (CT) examinations of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from European museums were evaluated for... more
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anemias in ancient Egyptian child mummies. Whole-body computed tomography (CT) examinations of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from European museums were evaluated for estimation of sex and age at death. CT examinations were systematically assessed for skeletal effects of anemias using a clinical radiological approach as well as quantitative measurements of the thickness of the cranial vault and diploe. Additionally, the technical feasibility to assess porotic hyperostosis on the available CT data was
examined. Twelve children were assessed as male and seven as female, and in two, the sex was indeterminate. The estimated age at death ranged from about 1 year to 12–14 years. One case showed radiological signs of thalassemia (!-thalassemia major) at the cranial vault and postcranial skeleton. Additionally, this case had a macroglossia that probably indicated Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome. Quantitative measurements confirmed a high variability of cranial vault thickness and diploe thickness. Compared with clinical reference values, seven out of the 21 (33%) child mummies had a pathological enlargement of the frontal cranial vault that represents
a typical finding of chronic hemolytic anemia and iron deficiency anemia. Assessment of porotic hyperostosis was not feasible on the available CT examinations as the image quality was not sufficient for this examination. In conclusion, pathological enlargement of the frontal cranial vault as an indicator for chronic hemolytic anemia and iron deficiency anemia had a high prevalence, especially in the younger children. The mummy with radiological signs of thalassemia seems to be the first case with radiological evidence of skeletal effects of this anemia to the cranial vault and postcranial skeleton from ancient Egypt.
examined. Twelve children were assessed as male and seven as female, and in two, the sex was indeterminate. The estimated age at death ranged from about 1 year to 12–14 years. One case showed radiological signs of thalassemia (!-thalassemia major) at the cranial vault and postcranial skeleton. Additionally, this case had a macroglossia that probably indicated Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome. Quantitative measurements confirmed a high variability of cranial vault thickness and diploe thickness. Compared with clinical reference values, seven out of the 21 (33%) child mummies had a pathological enlargement of the frontal cranial vault that represents
a typical finding of chronic hemolytic anemia and iron deficiency anemia. Assessment of porotic hyperostosis was not feasible on the available CT examinations as the image quality was not sufficient for this examination. In conclusion, pathological enlargement of the frontal cranial vault as an indicator for chronic hemolytic anemia and iron deficiency anemia had a high prevalence, especially in the younger children. The mummy with radiological signs of thalassemia seems to be the first case with radiological evidence of skeletal effects of this anemia to the cranial vault and postcranial skeleton from ancient Egypt.
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and anatomical distribution of recovery lines (growth arrest lines) in ancient Egyptian child mummies. Whole-body computed tomography (CT) examinations of 21 ancient Egyptian child... more
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and anatomical distribution of recovery lines (growth arrest lines) in ancient Egyptian child mummies. Whole-body computed tomography (CT) examinations of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from European museums were evaluated for estimation of age at death and sex of the children. CT examinations were systematically assessed for recovery lines by inspection for metaphyseal lines, diaphyseal transverse lines, and bone-within-bone appearance at several sites of the skeleton. The estimated age at death of the children ranged from about 1 year to the age of 12–14 years. Twelve children were assessed as male, seven as female, and in two, the sex was indeterminate. Recovery lines were found in 18 out of the 21 (86%) child mummies. Metaphyseal lines were present in 12 mummies (57%), diaphyseal transverse lines in 12 mummies (57%), and bone-within-bone appearance in 11 mummies (52%). One case showed particularly dense metaphaseal bands typical of lead lines in lead poisoning. In conclusion, systematic assessment of recovery lines on CT images of ancient Egyptian child mummies showed a high prevalence of these lines. Many children had a combination of different lines, indicating more than one episode of growth disturbance. The spectrum of recovery lines included the better known metaphyseal and diaphyseal transverse lines as well as the less known bone-within-bone appearance that share the same pathomechanism. The mummy with lead lines seems to be the first case of radiological evidence of lead poisoning from ancient Egypt.
Objective: To identify computed tomography (CT) findings of purulent infections in ancient Egyptian child mummies. Materials: Whole-body CT examination of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from German (n = 18), Italian (n = 1), and... more
Objective: To identify computed tomography (CT) findings of purulent infections in ancient Egyptian child
mummies.
Materials: Whole-body CT examination of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from German (n = 18), Italian (n
= 1), and Swiss museums (n = 2).
Methods: CT examinations were evaluated for estimation of age at death and sex of the children. CT examinations
were systematically assessed for any CT findings of purulent infection.
Results: The estimated age at death of the children ranged from about one year to the age of 12–14 years (mean
4.8 years). Twelve children were assessed as male, seven as female and in two sex was indeterminate. Three out
of 21 child mummies (14.3%) had radiological evidence of purulent infections. In one mummy, a bandage-like
structure at the right lower leg was detected that most likely represented a dressing of a skin lesion.
Conclusions: This study appears to be the first to describe radiologically visualized structures consistent with
dried pus in ancient Egyptian mummies. This study also appears to be the first to physically demonstrate an
original ancient Egyptian dressing.
Significance: These cases may serve as models for further paleopathological investigation. The evidence of an
original dressing contributes to our knowledge of ancient Egyptian medicine.
Limitations: CT was used as the only examination method as sampling of the wrapped mummies was not possible.
Suggestions for further research: Radiological-pathological correlation in mummies in which physical sampling is
available may reveal further insights into purulent infections in ancient Egypt.
mummies.
Materials: Whole-body CT examination of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from German (n = 18), Italian (n
= 1), and Swiss museums (n = 2).
Methods: CT examinations were evaluated for estimation of age at death and sex of the children. CT examinations
were systematically assessed for any CT findings of purulent infection.
Results: The estimated age at death of the children ranged from about one year to the age of 12–14 years (mean
4.8 years). Twelve children were assessed as male, seven as female and in two sex was indeterminate. Three out
of 21 child mummies (14.3%) had radiological evidence of purulent infections. In one mummy, a bandage-like
structure at the right lower leg was detected that most likely represented a dressing of a skin lesion.
Conclusions: This study appears to be the first to describe radiologically visualized structures consistent with
dried pus in ancient Egyptian mummies. This study also appears to be the first to physically demonstrate an
original ancient Egyptian dressing.
Significance: These cases may serve as models for further paleopathological investigation. The evidence of an
original dressing contributes to our knowledge of ancient Egyptian medicine.
Limitations: CT was used as the only examination method as sampling of the wrapped mummies was not possible.
Suggestions for further research: Radiological-pathological correlation in mummies in which physical sampling is
available may reveal further insights into purulent infections in ancient Egypt.
This study focuses on the multidisciplinary investigation of three stucco-shrouded mummies with mummy portrait from Egypt dating from the late 3 rd to the middle of the 4 th century AD, corresponding to the late Roman Period. These three... more
This study focuses on the multidisciplinary investigation of three stucco-shrouded mummies with mummy portrait from Egypt dating from the late 3 rd to the middle of the 4 th century AD, corresponding to the late Roman Period. These three mummies were excavated in the early 17 th and late 19 th centuries in the Saqqara necropolis near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Two of them experienced an interesting collection history, when they became part of the collection of the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland August II in Dresden, Ger-many, in 1728. The investigation includes information about the mummies' discovery, collection history and shroud decoration obtained through Egyptological expertise. In addition, information on the state of preservation, technique of artificial mummification, age at death, sex, body height and health of the deceased was achieved through computed tomography (CT) analysis. Research yielded an adult male, a middle-aged female and a young female. Due to the rather poorly preserved bodies of the male and middle-aged female, a specific technique of artificial mummification could not be ascertained. Brain and several internal organs of the well-preserved young female were identified. Wooden boards, beads of necklaces , a hairpin, and metal dense items, such as lead seals, nails and two coins or medallions were discovered. Paleopathological findings included carious lesions, Schmorl's nodes, evidence of arthritis and a vertebral hemangioma. The study revealed insights on the decoration and burial preparation of individuals of upper socioeconomic status living in the late Roman Period, as well as comprehensive bioanthropological information of the deceased.
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Objective In this study, an Inca bundle was examined using computed tomography (CT). The primary aim was to determine the preservation status of bony and soft tissues, the sex, the age at the time of death, possible indicators for disease... more
Objective In this study, an Inca bundle was examined using computed tomography (CT). The primary aim was to determine the preservation status of bony and soft tissues, the sex, the age at the time of death, possible indicators for disease or even the cause of death, as well as the kind of mummification. A secondary aim was to obtain a brief overview of the wrapping in order to gain additional information on the cultural background. Materials and methods The bundle belongs to the Museum of Cultures in Basel, Switzerland, and was bought in Munich, Germany, in 1921. Radiocarbon dating of the superficial textile yielded a calibrated age between 1480 and 1650 AD. The mummy was investigated using multi-slice CT with slice thickness of 0.75 mm and 110 kilovolt. For standardized assessment of soft tissue preservation, a recently developed checklist was applied.
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Purpose: The aim of this study was to systematically reinvestigate the first human mummy that was ever analyzed with X-ray imaging in 1896, using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in order to compare the earliest and latest imaging... more
Purpose: The aim of this study was to systematically reinvestigate the first human mummy that was ever analyzed with X-ray imaging in 1896, using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in order to compare the earliest and latest imaging technologies, to estimate preservation, age at death, sex, anatomical variants, paleopathological findings, mummification, embalming and wrapping of the child mummy from ancient Egypt. Radiocarbon dating was used to determine the mummy's age and to specify the child's living period in the Egyptian chronology. Material and methods: The ancient Egyptian child mummy is kept in the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. An accelerator mass spectrometer (MICADAS) was used for radiocarbon dating. DSCT was performed using a 2 × 64 slice dual-source CT system (Siemens Healthi-neers, Forchheim, Germany). A thorough visual examination of the mummy, a systematic radiological evaluation of the DICOM datasets, and established methods in physical anthropology were applied to assess the bio-anthropological data and the post mortem treatment of the body. Results: Radiocarbon dating yielded a calibrated age between 378 and 235 cal BC (95.4% confidence interval), corresponding with the beginning of the Ptolemaic period. The mummy was a male who was four to five years old at the time of death. Remnants of the brain and inner organs were preserved by the embalmers, which is regularly observed in ancient Egyptian child mummies. Skin tissue, inner organs, tendons and/or musculature, cartilage, nerves and vasculature could be identified on the DSCT dataset. The dental health of the child was excellent. Anatomical variants and pathological defects included a congenital Pectus excavatum deformity, hepatomegaly, Harris lines, and longitudinal clefts in the ventral cortices of both femora. Conclusion: Our results highlight the enormous progress achieved form earliest to latest imaging technology for advanced mummy research using the first human mummy investigated with X-ray. With the application of DSCT, detailed knowledge regarding age at death, sex, diseases, death, and mummification of a child from Ptolemaic Egypt are revealed while considering the temporary rites of body treatment and burial for children.
The analysis of the human remains from the megalithic tomb at Alto de Reinoso represents the widest integrative study of a eolithic collective burial in Spain. Combining archaeology, osteology, molecular genetics and stable isotope... more
The analysis of the human remains from the megalithic tomb at Alto de Reinoso represents the widest integrative study of a eolithic collective burial in Spain. Combining archaeology, osteology, molecular genetics and stable isotope analysis (87Sr/86Sr, δ15N, δ13C) it provides a wealth of information on the minimum number of individuals, age, sex, body height,
pathologies, mitochondrial DNA profiles, kinship relations, mobility, and diet. The grave was in use for approximately one hundred years around 3700 cal BC, thus dating from the Late
Neolithic of the Iberian chronology. At the bottom of the collective tomb, six complete and six partial skeletons lay in anatomically correct positions. Above them, further bodies represented a subsequent and different use of the tomb, with almost all of the skeletons exhibiting signs of manipulation such as missing skeletal parts, especially skulls. The megalithic
monument comprised at least 47 individuals, including males, females, and subadults, although children aged 0–6 years were underrepresented. The skeletal remains exhibited a moderate number of pathologies, such as degenerative joint diseases, healed fractures, cranial trauma, and a low intensity of caries. The mitochondrial DNA profiles revealed a pattern pointing to a closely related local community with matrilineal kinship patterns. In some cases adjacent individuals in the bottom layer showed familial relationships. According to their strontium isotope ratios, only a few individuals were likely to have spent their early childhood in a different geological environment, whilst the majority of individuals grew up locally. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, which was undertaken to reconstruct the dietary habits, indicated that this was a homogeneous group with egalitarian access to food. Cereals and small ruminants were the principal sources of nutrition. These data fit in well with a lifestyle typical of sedentary farming populations in the Spanish Meseta during this period of the Neolithic.
pathologies, mitochondrial DNA profiles, kinship relations, mobility, and diet. The grave was in use for approximately one hundred years around 3700 cal BC, thus dating from the Late
Neolithic of the Iberian chronology. At the bottom of the collective tomb, six complete and six partial skeletons lay in anatomically correct positions. Above them, further bodies represented a subsequent and different use of the tomb, with almost all of the skeletons exhibiting signs of manipulation such as missing skeletal parts, especially skulls. The megalithic
monument comprised at least 47 individuals, including males, females, and subadults, although children aged 0–6 years were underrepresented. The skeletal remains exhibited a moderate number of pathologies, such as degenerative joint diseases, healed fractures, cranial trauma, and a low intensity of caries. The mitochondrial DNA profiles revealed a pattern pointing to a closely related local community with matrilineal kinship patterns. In some cases adjacent individuals in the bottom layer showed familial relationships. According to their strontium isotope ratios, only a few individuals were likely to have spent their early childhood in a different geological environment, whilst the majority of individuals grew up locally. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, which was undertaken to reconstruct the dietary habits, indicated that this was a homogeneous group with egalitarian access to food. Cereals and small ruminants were the principal sources of nutrition. These data fit in well with a lifestyle typical of sedentary farming populations in the Spanish Meseta during this period of the Neolithic.
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Die 1885 nach Chemnitz gelangte ägyptische Mumie des Nes-Hor mit Sarg war kürzlich nach jahrzehntelanger Ausleihe an das Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz zurückgekehrt. Neben den in der Zwischenzeit erfolgten, unpublizierten ägyptologischen... more
Die 1885 nach Chemnitz gelangte ägyptische Mumie des Nes-Hor mit Sarg war kürzlich nach jahrzehntelanger Ausleihe an das Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz zurückgekehrt. Neben den in der Zwischenzeit erfolgten, unpublizierten ägyptologischen Untersuchungen werden erste angestellte Recherchen und Beobachtungen zu Fragen des gesamten Ensembles diskutiert. Zwischen 2019 und 2022 wurden Sarg und Mumie durch Wissenschaftler und Wissenschaftlerinnen aus den Bereichen Radiokarbondatierung, Radiologie, Anthropologie, Textilanalytik und Ägyptologie untersucht. Hierbei fand das Ensemble erstmals auch international Beachtung. Der Beitrag stellt erste interdisziplinäre Ergebnisse vor und beantwortet wesentliche Fragen zu Originalität und Provenienz.
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Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focus on the maternal... more
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focus on the maternal genetic makeup of the Neolithic (~ 5500–3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~3000–2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200–1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher than in other parts of Europe and varies regionally. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
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For the first time a 3D-print was produced from a human bog body. The famous Yde-girl from the collection of the Drents Museum in Assen (The Netherlands) was taken as example to investigate the possibilities and limitations of scanning... more
For the first time a 3D-print was produced from a human bog body. The famous Yde-girl from the collection of the Drents Museum in Assen (The Netherlands) was taken as example to investigate the possibilities and limitations of scanning and printing a human body.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Roman History, Landscape Archaeology, Roman Religion, and 23 moreArchaeological Method & Theory, Ancient Religion, Religion and ritual in prehistory, 3D Reconstruction, Human Remains (Anthropology), 3D printing, Late Iron Age (Archaeology), Iron Age (Archaeology), Mummy Studies, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Prehistory, Protohistory, Iron Age, Religious Studies, Prehistoric Archeology, 3d Reconstructions in Archaeology, 3d Modeling, Mummies, Mummification, Mummy Studies; Bioarchaeology, Human remains in Archaeology, Votive offerings, and Roman Archaeology
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The Megalithism in the Duero Basin shows a wide range of different monuments, both the more orthodox types (simple dolmens and passage graves) and others lacking the orthostatic structures (simple mounds, 'lime-kiln' tombs). In this... more
The Megalithism in the Duero Basin shows a wide range of different monuments, both the more orthodox types (simple dolmens and passage graves) and others lacking the orthostatic structures (simple mounds, 'lime-kiln' tombs). In this article two recent discoveries are presented that were found and excavated in the Burgos and Soria provinces. Different closure rituals were documented in them involving the dismantling of previous collective graves and the subsequent transformation of those burial spaces, through complex ceremonies and even architectonic reforms, into veneration places to the memory of the ancestors deposited there, within the ritual landscape organized around them.
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The present case study on a mummy head shows that separated body parts can reveal remarkable insights into life and death of people who lived long time ago. Within a scientific cooperation between the German Mummy Project at the... more
The present case study on a mummy head shows that separated body parts can reveal remarkable insights into life and death of people who lived long time ago.
Within a scientific cooperation between the German Mummy Project at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim (Germany) and the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg, an ancient Egyptian mummy head was analyzed in an interdisciplinary approach including radiocarbon dating, dual-source computed tomography, physical anthropology, Egyptology, and forensic medicine.
Dated to the Roman Period, the mummy head belonged to an upper-class woman between 25 and 35 years. CT analysis showed a lethal blunt force trauma below the intact overlaying soft tissue. Moreover, ancient medical treatment was evidenced through localized shaving of the hair on the affected area which indicates that efforts were made to keep the woman alive, however, without success.
This multidisciplinary investigation demonstrates the enormous scientific benefit of mummified body parts which can shed light on life, death and medical care of people from past societies.
Within a scientific cooperation between the German Mummy Project at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim (Germany) and the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg, an ancient Egyptian mummy head was analyzed in an interdisciplinary approach including radiocarbon dating, dual-source computed tomography, physical anthropology, Egyptology, and forensic medicine.
Dated to the Roman Period, the mummy head belonged to an upper-class woman between 25 and 35 years. CT analysis showed a lethal blunt force trauma below the intact overlaying soft tissue. Moreover, ancient medical treatment was evidenced through localized shaving of the hair on the affected area which indicates that efforts were made to keep the woman alive, however, without success.
This multidisciplinary investigation demonstrates the enormous scientific benefit of mummified body parts which can shed light on life, death and medical care of people from past societies.
A few months after the discovery of X-rays in 1895, the physicist Walter Koenig conducted the first radiographic investigation of mummified remains at Physikalischer Verein in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). One of the X-rayed objects was an... more
A few months after the discovery of X-rays in 1895, the physicist Walter Koenig conducted the first radiographic investigation of mummified remains at Physikalischer Verein in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). One of the X-rayed objects was an ancient Egyptian child mummy of unknown archaeological provenience from Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt (Inv. no. ÄS 18).
In the recent study, the mummy was re-examined in an interdisciplinary approach comprising radiocarbon dating, radiology, paleoimaging and anthropology. Radiocarbon dating for determination of the mummy’s age was conducted at Curt Engelhorn Centre Archaeometry gGmbH in Mannheim (Germany). The mummy was scanned by a 2x64 slice computed tomography (CT) scanner operating in dual-energy mode for advanced spectral tissue characterization at Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University (Germany).
The primary aim was to recapitulate the earliest X-ray technique compared to latest CT scanning technology. The CT images were further used for assessing bone and soft tissue preservation, wrappings, embalming technique, determining age at death and sex, dentition, pathologies, traumata and stress markers of the child.
Radiocarbon analysis yielded a calibrated age between 378 and 235 cal BC (1SD) - the beginning of Ptolemaic period in Egypt. Dental status revealed a child aged between 4 and 5 years. Remains of the desiccated brain are preserved on the skull base and within the cervical spine. Intestines are located inside the chest and abdominal cavity. The liver seems to be enlarged. Analysis of the thorax revealed a pectus excavatum deformity. Both femora show a longitudinal cleft in the ventral part of the diaphysis. Harris lines as indicators for metabolic stress during growth are visible on the long bones of the lower limbs.
The recent CT scanning not only shows the potential of dual-energy CT technique, but furthermore revealed comprehensive anthropological results about the first-ever X-rayed human mummy.
In the recent study, the mummy was re-examined in an interdisciplinary approach comprising radiocarbon dating, radiology, paleoimaging and anthropology. Radiocarbon dating for determination of the mummy’s age was conducted at Curt Engelhorn Centre Archaeometry gGmbH in Mannheim (Germany). The mummy was scanned by a 2x64 slice computed tomography (CT) scanner operating in dual-energy mode for advanced spectral tissue characterization at Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University (Germany).
The primary aim was to recapitulate the earliest X-ray technique compared to latest CT scanning technology. The CT images were further used for assessing bone and soft tissue preservation, wrappings, embalming technique, determining age at death and sex, dentition, pathologies, traumata and stress markers of the child.
Radiocarbon analysis yielded a calibrated age between 378 and 235 cal BC (1SD) - the beginning of Ptolemaic period in Egypt. Dental status revealed a child aged between 4 and 5 years. Remains of the desiccated brain are preserved on the skull base and within the cervical spine. Intestines are located inside the chest and abdominal cavity. The liver seems to be enlarged. Analysis of the thorax revealed a pectus excavatum deformity. Both femora show a longitudinal cleft in the ventral part of the diaphysis. Harris lines as indicators for metabolic stress during growth are visible on the long bones of the lower limbs.
The recent CT scanning not only shows the potential of dual-energy CT technique, but furthermore revealed comprehensive anthropological results about the first-ever X-rayed human mummy.