Objectives: In the context of a joint Mummy Research Project of the National Archaeological Museum, the Hellenic Institute of Egyptology and the Athens Medical Centre, an Egyptian mummy of the mid-Ptolemaic Period was transferred to our hospital and was thoroughly investigated with Computed Tomography. Methods: The mummy was carefully removed from its coffin and scanned in a 64-detector row computed tomographic scanner. Multiplanar and anthropometric measurements were obtained using advanced software. Results: The mummy appeared to be well-preserved and belonged to a young male adult. Among the findings, the most interesting and uncommon one was the asymmetry of the maxillary sinuses and the orbits. There were no signs of trauma. Conclusions: Computed Tomography revealed in a non-destructive way a rare, based on the published data, facial deformity in an Egyptian mummy attributed to chronic maxillary atelectasis.
Over the last decades, it has been confirmed that computerized tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for studying mummies. In joint efforts put forth by the Mummy Research Project of the Hellenic Institute of Egyptology, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Athens Medical Center, a mummy was transported to the Radiology Department of the Athens Medical Center for study. Thus, a complete CT scanning was performed of this Ptolemaic mummy (AIG 3343: Sekhem, male, 150-30 BCE), belonging to the Egyptian Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The most significant finding is an interproximal carious cavity packed with protective material. This is the second case of dental packing in the literature among ancient Egyptian mummies studied to date. Its remarkable resemblance to the previously published study may indicate a common dental intervention performed by ancient Egyptians. Despite the well-known early medical traditions of ancient Egypt, spanning from the Old Kingdom to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, little evidence remains of their practices in dentistry. Our finding represents a rare perspective on the origins of what remains today a major allied health field discipline.
Composite mummies do not contain a corpse but are made from body parts or bones and other materials. They are genuine mummies made in ancient Egypt for spiritual reasons. This article describes the study of a composite human mummy using computed tomography (CT). This procedure was used to identify the bones and other materials used to make the mummy as well as the technique used for its assembly.Other findings of interest included bilateral parietal thinning and the presence of fluid levels inside many of the bones. Descriptions of composite mummies are rare in the literature, and this is the first time an adult human composite mummy has been studied using CT. These findings add to our knowledge of the composite mummies of ancient Egypt.
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