A latest research reveals {that a} 3,500-year-old mummy, generally known as the “Screaming Lady,” skilled a loss of life full of agony. Digital autopsies carried out on the mum, found in an Egyptian tomb in 1935, present that her remaining moments have been marked by a painful spasm, which left her face in a scream-like expression.
The “Screaming Lady” was embalmed utilizing luxurious imported substances, together with juniper resin and frankincense, which contributed to her distinctive preservation. The detailed CT scan of the mum, revealed within the journal Frontiers in Drugs on August 2, 2024, uncovered that her organs have been intact and well-preserved, a rarity for mummies from that period. These substances, probably introduced from the Jap Mediterranean or East Africa, have been used to guard the physique from decay attributable to micro organism and bugs. Her distinctive embalming course of contrasts with the widespread apply of eradicating organs throughout mummification within the New Kingdom interval.
This mummy was adorned with a black wig, made out of date palm fibers, and two scarab rings. The wig’s composition included crystals to boost its color and stiffness, a element that highlights the complexity of historical Egyptian funerary practices.
The pronounced open mouth of the mum is attributed to a cadaveric spasm, a situation the place muscular tissues stiffen immediately earlier than loss of life resulting from excessive ache or stress. This discovering means that the lady could have died below extreme misery, not like different mummies discovered with comparable expressions.
The research additionally offered insights into the lady’s bodily situation. She was round 48 years outdated on the time of her loss of life, stood about 5 ft tall, and confirmed indicators of gentle arthritis and several other lacking tooth.
The “Screaming Lady” stays a major topic of research, providing a glimpse into the lives and deaths of historical Egyptians. Her well-preserved stays proceed to be examined, offering worthwhile details about her well being, life-style, and the mummification methods of her time.
