Egyptian scientists have digitally unwrapped the mummified bones of Pharaoh Amenhotep I for the first time since the body was discovered in 1881, revealing exciting details about the Egyptian king’s life and death.
The corpse, decked with flower garlands and a seductive wooden face mask, was so delicate that experts had never attempted to open it, making it the only royal Egyptian mummy unearthed in the nineteenth and twentieth century that they had not examined.
- Amenhotep According to Saleem and her colleagues, I was 35 years old and 169 cm (5.5 feet) tall when he died.
- Within the wrappings, 30 amulets and a one-of-a-kind gold girdle were discovered.
- According to Saleem, the pharaoh had a narrow chin, a little narrow nose, curling hair, and somewhat projecting upper teeth.
- Investigation revealed no scars or deformities that may have caused his death: Between 1525 and 1504 BC, Amenhotep I governed Egypt for nearly 21 years.
- Researchers could view the old king’s face thanks to scanning technologies.
- They also discovered his age, height, and health status at his death.
Egyptian scientists utilized three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scanning to uncover the 3,500 year’s old mummies and analyze their contents using non-invasive digital procedures.
“We could study this well-preserved pharaoh in unprecedented detail by digitally unwrapping the mummy and ‘peeling off’ its virtual layers the facemask. In a news release, the bandages and the mummy itself,” said Dr. Sahar Saleem, professor of radiology at Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine and the Egyptian Mummy Project’s radiologist.
According to Saleem and her colleagues, Amenhotep I died when he was 35 years old and stood 169 cm (5.5 feet) tall. He was also circumcised and had a healthy set of teeth. Thirty amulets and a one-of-a-kind gold girdle were discovered among the wrappings.
According to Saleem, the pharaoh had a small chin, a slightly narrow nose, curling hair, and somewhat protruding upper teeth.
Investigation revealed no scars or deformities that may have caused his death:
Between 1525 and 1504 BC, Amenhotep I governed Egypt for nearly 21 years. He was the second monarch of the 18th Dynasty, and his reign was mainly peaceful, with several temples established throughout his power.
According to hieroglyphic writings, the corpse had various postmortem injuries, most likely caused by ancient tomb robbers that priests and embalmers sought to treat in the 21st Dynasty, more than four centuries after he was initially mummified and entombed.
Before researching the mummies, Saleem assumed that the priests and embalmers indicated in the writings had opened it to reuse some of the body’s artifacts, like amulets, for successive pharaohs, as was the custom at the period. On the other hand, she asserted that it was not the case.
“We show that, at least for Amenhotep I, the priests of the 21st dynasty diligently repaired the damage caused by tomb thieves, restored his body to its former splendor, and kept the fine jewels and amulets in situ,” Saleem said in a statement.
After his mummy was ‘digitally peeled,’ an ancient pharaoh revealed secrets:
“The method enabled me to… view the amulets in between the layers, as well as the face,” one researcher said. Egyptian scientists discovered a 3,500-year-old royal mummy without removing a single piece of embalming linen.
Instead, scientists employed cutting-edge X-ray equipment and computed tomography scanning to get a look at King Amenhotep I’s the mummified body and the mysteries it’s been hiding for millennia.
The article, which was published Tuesday, was co-authored by Hawass and Dr. Sahar Saleem, a radiology professor at Cairo University’s faculty of medicine. Researchers could view the old king’s face thanks to scanning technologies. They also discovered his age, height, and health status at his death.
According to the study’s 3D photos, I had an oval face with a narrow chin, a small nose, and slightly protruding upper teeth.
Based on the investigation of his bones, experts determined that he was roughly 35 years old at the time of his death and that he was in generally excellent condition, with no ailments or injuries that might reveal how he died. Amenhotep discovered that his teeth were likewise in perfect condition.
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