Multi-Analytical Characterization and Radiocarbon Dating of a Roman Egyptian Mummy Portrait

Fayum mummy portraits, painted around 2000 years ago, represent a fascinating fusion of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman funerary and artistic traditions. Examination of these artworks may provide insight into the Roman Empire’s trade and economic and social structure during one of its most crucial yet still hazy times of transition. The lack of proper archaeological documentation of the numerous excavated portraits currently prevents their chronological dating, be it absolute or relative. So far, their production period has been defined essentially on the basis of the relevant differences in their pictorial style. Our study introduces the use of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to assess the age of a fragment of an encaustic painting belonging to the corpus of the Fayum portraits. The unexpected age resulting from 14C analysis suggests the need to reconsider previous assumptions regarding the period of production of the Fayum corpus. Furthermore, our multi-analytical, non-invasive approach yields further details regarding the fragment’s pictorial technique and constituting materials, based on spectral and morphological analysis and cross-sectional examination.

Talk like an Egyptian? Epistemological problems with the synthesis of a vocal sound from the mummified remains of Nesyamun and racial designations in mummy studies

The paper examines epistemological problems behind a recent study claiming to provide a synthesis of a vocal sound from the mummified remains of a man named Nesyamun and behind racial designations in Egyptian mummy studies more generally. So far, responses in the media and academia concentrated on the ethical problems of these studies, whereas their theoretical and methodological backgrounds have been rarely addressed or mentioned only in passing. It seems that the media reaction has targeted the synthesis of a sound rather than other, equally problematic, assumptions found in Egyptian mummy studies. By focusing on the epistemological problems, it will be demonstrated that the issues of greatest concern are endemic to a general state of a considerable part of the discipline of Egyptology and its unreflective engagement with the material remains of the past, especially human remains.

Medical and dental hidden treasures and secrets of 2700-year-old Egyptian mummy: Osirmose - the doorkeeper of the Temple of Re.

Objective: To perform a ‘virtual autopsy’ on the Egyptian mummy and to study, understand, and interpret three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan images of Osirmose’s mummy with a multidisciplinary team composed of radiologists, archaeologists, and oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Material and methods: We studied the Osirmose’s mummy, the doorkeeper of the Temple of Re, who lived during the XXVth dynasty. His mummy belongs to the Royal Museum of Art and History (Inv. E.5889). We performed a high resolution CT scanning of Osirmose’s mummy. We also 3D printed the upper maxilla of the mummy and a tooth found in the oesophagus with a clinically validated low-cost 3D printer. Results: We confirmed the male sex of the mummy. We found the heart, aorta, and kidneys inside the mummy’s body. Brain excerebration was performed through the right ethmoid bone pathway. A wood stick embedded in the dura mater tissue was found inside the skull. The orbicularis oculi muscle, internal canthus, optical nerves, and calcified eye were still present. Artificial eyes were added above the stuffing of eye globes. The skull and face were embalmed with multiple layers of inner bandages in a sophisticated manner. The wear of maxillary teeth was asymmetrical and more pronounced on the maxilla. We discovered three anomalies of the upper maxilla: 1) a rectangular hole on the palatine side of tooth n°26 (the palatine root of tooth n°26 was missing), 2) an indentation at a right angle palatine to tooth n°27, and 3) a semilunar shape of edges around the osteolytic lesion distal and palatine to tooth n°28. Conclusions: The present study provides the first evidence of a tooth removal site, and of oral surgery procedures previously conducted in a 2700-year-old Egyptian embalmed mummy. We found traces of dental root removal, and the opening of a tooth-related osteolytic lesion before the person’s death. The multidisciplinary team, the use of a high resolution 3D CT scan and a 3D-printed model of the upper maxilla helped in this discovery.

The Bioarchaeological Evidence of Leprosy

This chapter explores the evidence for leprosy in skeletons from archaeological sites across the globe. On this basis, leprosy has a history of 7,000 years, but this picture will change as more evidence is uncovered. In the past, leprosy appears to have been a disease of the Old World and the northern and eastern hemispheres. The earliest skeletons with leprosy are from Britain, Hungary, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan. Northern Europe has the most evidence with Britain, Denmark, Hungary, and Sweden providing the most data. No evidence has been confirmed in the Americas, but there are more recent documentary data for leprosy there as a result of migration, the slave trade, and colonialism. Leprosy in non-adult skeletons is rare, and there is only one preserved body with evidence: an Egyptian mummy. The majority of the people whose skeletons revealed leprosy were buried normally for the time period in which they lived, their culture, and their geographic location. The bioarchaeological evidence does not corroborate the historical evidence for the frequency of leprosy (and some bioarchaeological evidence predates the historical data), nor does it support the wholesale stigma and marginalization of those affected that is often reported in the historical literature.

Computed tomography head and facial bones review of a 2700 year old Egyptian mummy

CT scanning techniques used in head and facial bones examination in the clinical environment can also be transferable to the imaging of post-mortem cases as a novel non-destructive and non-invasive investigation in forensic cases. We describe a study of the head and facial bones of a 2700-year-old Egyptian mummy. Cross-sectional investigation can lead to discovering unknown information of skeletal and soft tissue structures and anatomy to contribute to the knowledge of preserved mummified remains and the practice of palaeoradiology.