Century-old mystery of 'Screaming Woman Mummy' finally unraveled
The enigma surrounding the "Screaming Woman Mummy" in Egypt, a mystery that has baffled scientists for nearly 100 years, seems to have been finally resolved. The mummy was unearthed in 1935 by an expedition team from the Metropolitan Museum of New York. It is believed that the woman was interred approximately 2,500 years ago and was a relative of Senmut, a royal architect in ancient Thebes and lover of Queen Hatschepsut.
New research supports the theory of painful death
The mummy's face, frozen in a scream, led to theories that she died in severe pain. This hypothesis has now been substantiated by recent research conducted by Dr. Sahar Saleem, a radiologist at Cairo University, and Samira El-Merghani, an anthropologist with the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry. Saleem suggested that the mummy's screaming facial expression could indicate a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died in agony or pain.
Advanced techniques reveal mummy's life and death
Cadaveric spasm, a condition where muscles lock in place at the moment of death due to extreme pain or distress, was identified as the cause of the mummy's facial expression. The researchers used advanced imaging techniques such as CT scans, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. The woman, just over five feet tall, died at around age 48. She suffered from arthritis and was believed to have been in extreme agony at her death.
Mummy's preservation contradicts traditional beliefs
The study also revealed that the mummy's body was treated with costly, imported embalming materials such as juniper and frankincense from Africa and Arabia respectively. Her natural hair was dyed with juniper and henna, while her wig was treated with quartz, magnetite, and albite crystals to stiffen the fibers and color them black. The mummy's well-preserved state contradicts the belief that not removing inner organs indicated poor mummification, as all her major organs were intact—a rarity in ancient Egyptian practices.
What is mummification?
Mummification, a revered tradition in the ancient world, held deep religious significance and was performed by skilled specialists to honor the dead and express beliefs in an afterlife. While the ancient Egyptians are the most well-known practitioners, mummification was also practiced by the Chinese, Guanches of the Canary Islands, and many pre-Columbian societies in South America, including the Incas. The oldest recorded mummy in North America, found at Spirit Cave near Fallon, Nevada, exemplifies natural mummification.
