- With her mouth open, experts dubbed the mummy ‘The Screaming Woman’
- CT scans confirm that he died screaming in pain 3,500 years ago
When it comes to death, most of us would wish for a peaceful and painless passing.
So spare a thought for this Egyptian mummy, who likely died screaming in agony 3,500 years ago, according to researchers.
The mummy was first discovered in 1935, when an archaeological expedition unearthed a wooden coffin located beneath the tomb of the architect Senmut, who died in 1464 BC.
The coffin contained the mummified body of an unidentified woman wearing a black wig and two scarab rings in silver and gold, but what most surprised archaeologists was her expression.
With her mouth open, as if she were in the grip of a lament, they nicknamed her “The Screaming Woman.”
When it comes to death, most of us would wish for a peaceful, painless demise. So spare a thought for this Egyptian mummy, who likely died screaming in agony 3,500 years ago, according to researchers.
The mummy was first discovered in 1935, when an archaeological expedition unearthed a wooden coffin located beneath the tomb of the architect Senmut, who died in 1464 BC.
Now, researchers have used the most advanced scientific techniques to examine the mummy and learn about its life and death.
Advanced scanning techniques revealed the woman was lying on her back with her legs extended and her hands crossed over her groin.
He was missing several teeth (probably lost before he died) and would have been approximately 1.54 metres tall in life.
CT scan images estimated that he was approximately 48 years old at the time of his death and had suffered from mild arthritis in his spine.
Analysis revealed that the Screaming Woman had been embalmed with juniper and incense, expensive materials that had to be imported to Egypt.
CT scans estimated that he was approximately 48 years old at the time of his death and had suffered from mild arthritis in his spine.
Archaeologists have excavated the tomb of Senmut, the architect and overseer of royal works (and supposedly lover) of the famous Queen Hatschepsut (statue pictured). Beneath Senmut’s tomb, they found a separate burial chamber for his mother Hat-Nufer and other unidentified relatives, including the Screaming Woman.
The rarity and expense of the embalming materials appear to rule out a sloppy mummification process and the embalmers simply forgetting to seal the body’s mouth, the researchers said.
Dr Sahar Saleem, one of the authors of the study from Cairo University, said: “The screaming facial expression of the mummy in this study could be read as a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died screaming in agony or pain.”
Cadaveric spasm is a rare form of muscle rigidity, usually associated with violent deaths under extreme physical conditions and intense emotions.
“The Screaming Woman is a true time capsule of the way she died and was mummified,” Dr Saleem added.
The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, also show there was no obvious cause of death.
The mummy was also discovered with the brain, diaphragm, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and intestine still present.
This came as a surprise, since the classical method of mummification in the New Kingdom (between 1550 and 1069 BC) included the removal of all those organs except the heart.
The mummy was discovered with the brain, diaphragm, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and intestine still present.
