Scans reveal details about Egyptian mummies in Davenport
Posted: Thursday, August 30, 2007
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- Medical scans of two Egyptian mummies in a Davenport museum confirm the remains are that of a woman and man.
The mummies underwent CT, or computed tomography, scans at a local hospital last week, uncovering clues into the mummification process but leaving other questions unanswered about the mummies' past, such as exactly when these people lived and how they died.
The scans verified the mummies' gender and examined puncture holes, incisions and rolled-up linens, said Eunice Schlichting, curator at the Putnam Museum.
The scans show the male mummy, who's wrapped in its original linens, was a young adult when he died.
"You tell that with the growth plates in the bones," Schlichting said Tuesday. "The other way they were determining age was by the teeth, and his teeth are in good condition, although he is missing multiple teeth."
Breaks were found in the male's spinal column as well as multiple broken ribs.
The female mummy was previously thought to be in her mid- to late 20s when she died, but officials now believe she may have been older because of her worn-down teeth.
Officials said they still weren't able to determine cause of death.
Schlichting said incisions found on the sides of both mummies show where someone reached inside to remove internal organs.
Radiologist Andrew Berkow said he found evidence of a heart inside the female mummy, but nothing in the male.
Museum officials said they plan further study of the scans by experts to determine exactly when the people lived.
The male mummy, estimated at 2,000 years old, was donated to the museum in 1896. The female, estimated at 3,000 years old, was donated in 1965 and was later unwrapped.
Schlichting said the museum also got scans of a detached mummified head and two mummified birds, which are part of the museum's collection, but she said they haven't been completely analyzed.
The mummies underwent CT, or computed tomography, scans at a local hospital last week, uncovering clues into the mummification process but leaving other questions unanswered about the mummies' past, such as exactly when these people lived and how they died.
The scans verified the mummies' gender and examined puncture holes, incisions and rolled-up linens, said Eunice Schlichting, curator at the Putnam Museum.
The scans show the male mummy, who's wrapped in its original linens, was a young adult when he died.
"You tell that with the growth plates in the bones," Schlichting said Tuesday. "The other way they were determining age was by the teeth, and his teeth are in good condition, although he is missing multiple teeth."
Breaks were found in the male's spinal column as well as multiple broken ribs.
The female mummy was previously thought to be in her mid- to late 20s when she died, but officials now believe she may have been older because of her worn-down teeth.
Officials said they still weren't able to determine cause of death.
Schlichting said incisions found on the sides of both mummies show where someone reached inside to remove internal organs.
Radiologist Andrew Berkow said he found evidence of a heart inside the female mummy, but nothing in the male.
Museum officials said they plan further study of the scans by experts to determine exactly when the people lived.
The male mummy, estimated at 2,000 years old, was donated to the museum in 1896. The female, estimated at 3,000 years old, was donated in 1965 and was later unwrapped.
Schlichting said the museum also got scans of a detached mummified head and two mummified birds, which are part of the museum's collection, but she said they haven't been completely analyzed.
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