Photographs of the front and right side of the mummy’s head were taken at Kasr Al Ainy Medical College in Cairo in 1939.
Salim and El-Melghani
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Salim and El-Melghani
For nearly a century, the mummy of the “Screaming Woman” discovered in Luxor, Egypt, has haunted viewers with its open-mouthed facial expression. Now, new evidence from Egyptian researchers suggests more harrowing details.
On Friday, Cairo University radiologist Dr. Sahar Salem and anthropologist Samia El-Megen reported that the woman likely “died screaming from excruciating pain.” The evidence was discovered through digital unpacking using CT scans and other tools. The study was published Friday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.
The researchers added that the woman’s facial expression may have been caused by cadaveric convulsions, which occur during “intense physical or emotional activity.”
They also estimated the woman’s age at death to be 48 years old and about 5 feet 1 inch tall.
The findings are not clear-cut, with the study highlighting that a mummy’s appearance may be affected by a range of factors, from burial procedures to post-mortem changes.
But it turns out it’s more reasonable than the theory that the embalmers simply neglected to seal her mouth properly – which may explain why other ancient Egyptian mummies have their mouths open.
But researchers found no evidence that the woman’s mummification was poorly done.
“The funerary techniques used by the embalmers on the CIT8 mummy body included the use of wigs, rings, expensive imported embalming materials, and placing the mummy in a wooden coffin. [indicated] Good mummification quality,” they wrote.
The mummy’s cause of death remains unknown. The “Screaming Woman” was discovered near the Tomb of Senmut in Luxor between 1935 and 1936 and later preserved in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Research shows she is believed to be a relative of his.
Senmut was the architect of the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, the most powerful female leader in ancient Egypt. Senmut’s final years remain a mystery.
