Scientists Discovered Information About Mummy's Head from Ancient Egypt

A CT scan of the severed head of an ancient Egyptian corpse discovered in an English attic in Kent revealed it belonged to a lady who lived at least 2,000 years ago. Researchers from Canterbury Christ Church University said that the head is thought to have been brought back from Egypt in the nineteenth century as a memento.

A more thorough CT scan was scheduled after initial X-rays at Canterbury Christ Church University indicated that the skull belonged to an adult female.

The woman's teeth had been worn down by a poor diet, according to preliminary CT scan findings from Maidstone Hospital, but her tongue had been well-preserved.

Researchers found what looked to be tubing in the mummy's left nostril and spinal canal composed of an unidentified material, however it was unclear whether this was of more recent or ancient origin. The mummification procedure seemed to have removed the brain. The head was given to the Canterbury Museums and Galleries collection in a glass case, but its origins remain a mystery.

James Elliott, diagnostic radiography lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University and senior radiographer at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust stated following the owner's passing, a house in Kent was being cleaned out when the head was discovered in the attic. Items like these were frequently brought back from Egypt as keepsakes during the Victorian era and may have been passed down through the family of the owner.

Elliott stated that the team intended to build a three-dimensional duplicate of the head and perhaps even rebuild the face using the scanned data.

According to him, the development of CT technology has made it possible for scholars to learn more specifically about ancient Egyptian customs.