The British Museum has started scanning several mummies from its collection using a CT scanner from the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The British Museum has started scanning several mummies from its collection using a CT scanner from the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.
Trustees of the British Museum
Egyptologists at the museum also use the same 3-D design software employed by car companies to create models of the mummies, including that of an unknown man (pictured).
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
Egyptologists at the museum also use the same 3-D design software employed by car companies to create models of the mummies, including that of an unknown man (pictured).
Trustees of the British Museum
The unknown man, who died around 600 BC, was originally stored in a coffin meant for a female. CT scans revealed that the mummy was in fact male, and likely put in the coffin by accident.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The unknown man, who died around 600 BC, was originally stored in a coffin meant for a female. CT scans revealed that the mummy was in fact male, and likely put in the coffin by accident.
Trustees of the British Museum
The museum uses a dual-energy CT scanner, which can create images of thick areas, like bone, and thin textures, like skin and fabric.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The museum uses a dual-energy CT scanner, which can create images of thick areas, like bone, and thin textures, like skin and fabric.
Trustees of the British Museum
The modeling software allows researchers to virtually 'strip away' not only the fabric encapsulating the mummy, buts its skin as well.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The modeling software allows researchers to virtually 'strip away' not only the fabric encapsulating the mummy, buts its skin as well.
Trustees of the British Museum
The scan of the unknown man revealed evidence of dental abbesses and the loss of several teeth, which would have meant he likely was in severe pain in the lead up to his death.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The scan of the unknown man revealed evidence of dental abbesses and the loss of several teeth, which would have meant he likely was in severe pain in the lead up to his death.
Trustees of the British Museum
The scan also revealed that Egyptian embalmers botched the job. A chunk of his brain (in blue) was left in the skull, along with a piece of the spatula used to extract the organ (in green).
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The scan also revealed that Egyptian embalmers botched the job. A chunk of his brain (in blue) was left in the skull, along with a piece of the spatula used to extract the organ (in green).
Trustees of the British Museum
The unknown man was discovered in Thebes. Scans revealed he likely died around age 35.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
The unknown man was discovered in Thebes. Scans revealed he likely died around age 35.
Vandenbeusch
Egyptologists also scanned the remains of a priestess named Tayesmutengebtiu, or Tamut for short.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
Egyptologists also scanned the remains of a priestess named Tayesmutengebtiu, or Tamut for short.
Trustees of the British Museum
In the 19th century, Egyptologists would sometimes remove the wrappings physically, which often damaged the corpse underneath. Now, researchers can view the mummy in incredible detail without touching it.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
In the 19th century, Egyptologists would sometimes remove the wrappings physically, which often damaged the corpse underneath. Now, researchers can view the mummy in incredible detail without touching it.
Trustees of the British Museum
Thanks to the 3-D visualization software, researchers were able to see the placement and detail of the amulets that decorated Tamut's corpse for the first time.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
Thanks to the 3-D visualization software, researchers were able to see the placement and detail of the amulets that decorated Tamut's corpse for the first time.
Trustees of the British Museum
CT scans have also enabled the museum team to establish Tamut's approximate age at the time of her death (which they place between 30 and 50) by allowing them to examine her pelvis.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
CT scans have also enabled the museum team to establish Tamut's approximate age at the time of her death (which they place between 30 and 50) by allowing them to examine her pelvis.
Trustees of the British Museum
They were also able to see plaque build-up in her arteries, which could have put her at risk for a stroke or heart attack.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
They were also able to see plaque build-up in her arteries, which could have put her at risk for a stroke or heart attack.
Trustees of the British Museum
For the first time, museum staff are able to discern the inscriptions on Tamut's amulets, as well as their significance based on their placement on her body.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
For the first time, museum staff are able to discern the inscriptions on Tamut's amulets, as well as their significance based on their placement on her body.
Trustees of the British Museum
As well as a priestess, Tamut was a singer, and likely served at the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak in Luxor, Egypt.
Underneath a mummy's wrappings —
As well as a priestess, Tamut was a singer, and likely served at the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak in Luxor, Egypt.
Vandenbeusch
Underneath a mummy's wrapping's

Story highlights

New CT scans help researchers "undress" a mummy virtually

The British Museum uses the same software employed by car companies to make 3-D models

Researchers can now approximate a mummy's age, cause of death and general health

CNN  — 

The urge to undress a mummy can be strong. In the 19th century, Egyptologists didn’t think twice about tearing off a mummy’s wrappings. Even Ramses the Great couldn’t avoid the indignity of being stripped bare in front of an audience of curious onlookers.

Today’s experts in the field know better.

“Certainly, it’s a damaging process, and you lose a lot of information and disturb the mummy itself. It’s also something that is no longer necessary with advancements in technology,” says Dr. Daniel Antoine, the curator of physical anthropology at the British Museum in London.

The institute’s vast collection of sarcophagi has remained largely undisturbed for over 200 years. This year, however, researchers have again decided to peek underneath the linens (and skin and muscle), though this time using the Royal Brompton Hospital’s dual-energy CT scanner – one of the most advanced in London.

The data they gather from the scans is then plugged into the same 3D-modeling software used by car companies to analyze engines. The technology has given them the clearest picture to date of what life was like along the Nile 2,500 years ago.

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“You can tell the software what part are bandages and bone and skin, and you can peel away those layers. You can virtually remove the bandages to look at the body and any amulets covering the body, then remove the skin to look at the bones and any preserved organs,” says Antoine.

“What that means in normal language is we’re able to see a lot more, a lot more clearly.”

Tamut, the temple singer

Of the corpses they’ve scanned, eight will be on exhibit at the British Museum from May 22. The star of the show is undoubtedly Tamut, a priestess and temple singer who died in Luxor, Egypt around 900 BC.

The CT scans have allowed researchers to make a lot of new discoveries about Tamut. By analyzing her pelvic bone, they were able to find her approximate age (between 30 and 50). Gazing into her arteries, they found a possible cause of death – plaque build-up that could have resulted in a heart attack or stroke.

The amulet on the feet of Tamut
The amulet on the feet of Tamut

Antoine’s team could also see the amulets placed around her body in vivid detail (several of which have been 3-D printed using the CT scan data).

“We’re even able to discern the inscriptions on some of the amulets,” notes Antoine, including one of the Eye of Horus on a plate covering the incision used to remove her internal organs.

“The Eye of Horus was believed to have healing properties, so it could have been used to heal her wounds in the afterlife,” explains Antoine.

The man with bad teeth

The scans also revealed surprises about another of the of the British Museum’s mummies. Despite being in a woman’s sarcophagus, CT scans told researchers the body was male, that he died around 600 BC, and that he probably lived in terrible pain because of a plethora of dental abscesses.

“We’ve found that a lot of the mummies had terrible dental health issues, specifically tooth decay and numerous abscesses caused by infections that spread to the blood stream,” says Antoine.

The unknown man is a particularly unique specimen, in that he is also evidence of a botched embalming job. Scans show both chunks of brain still present inside his skull, as well as part of the spatula used to remove it.

“There are few examples of such probes, and it’s great to see the shape of the one they would have used,” says Antoine. “It highlights some of the issues embalmers were confronted with. The hole on the inside of the skull through which the brain is extracted is rarely bigger than 2.5 centimeters, demonstrating a strong knowledge of human anatomy.”

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