The haunting visage of an ancient Egyptian mummy, known as the Screaming Woman, has long puzzled researchers. Her face, frozen in a gaping scream, suggested a death so agonizing that her muscles locked in place.
Recent research by radiologist Sahar Saleem of Cairo University and anthropologist Samia El-Merghani of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has shed new light on this enigma.
The research, published in Frontiers in Medicine, offers a deeper understanding of how the Screaming Woman's final moments were preserved for millennia.
The Screaming Woman, buried over three millennia ago in the tomb of Semnut, an 18th dynasty royal architect to Queen Hatshepsut, was discovered in 1935.
Her lavish burial included a wooden coffin, silver and gold rings with carved jasper scarabs, and a braided wig, indicating that her mummification was performed with care and costly materials.
Contrary to previous beliefs attributing her grim expression to poor mummification, the new study suggests otherwise.
"She was embalmed with costly, imported embalming material," Saleem explained. "This, and the mummy's well-preserved appearance, contradicts the traditional belief that a failure to remove her inner organs implied poor mummification."
Using advanced imaging techniques, including CT scans, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis, the researchers conducted a detailed examination of her remains.
They discovered that the woman stood just over 5 feet tall, died around the age of 48, and suffered from arthritis. Remarkably, her brain, diaphragm, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, and intestines were all intact, a rarity in ancient Egyptian mummification practices.
The study also revealed that her body was treated with juniper and frankincense, imported from Africa and Arabia, respectively. Her natural hair was dyed with juniper and henna, and her wig was treated with quartz, magnetite, and albite crystals to stiffen the fibers and colour them black.
These findings suggest that the Screaming Woman's mouth did not fall open due to negligence. Instead, the researchers propose that she experienced a cadaveric spasm, a rare condition where muscles lock in place at the moment of death, often due to extreme pain or distress.
"The mummy's screaming facial expression in this study could be read as a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died screaming from agony or pain," the researchers wrote.
While the exact cause of her death remains unknown, this study provides a glimpse into the ancient customs and the possible circumstances surrounding her demise.
Source: India Today