As part of the Polish project Warsaw Mummy Project Humanforensic specialists have successfully reconstructed the face of an Egyptian mummy that died more than 2,000 years ago.
In Poland, two forensic specialists have reconstructed the face of an Egyptian mummy kept in a sarcophagus and exhibited since 1917 at the National Museum in Warsaw. In a statement posted on Facebook and spotted by the magazine Geothe specialists explain that this work is part of the project of the Warsaw Mummy Project Human who “aims to rehumanize mummified individuals by presenting what they would have looked like during their lifetime”.
“We bring them back to life”
Thanks to 2D and 3D techniques, the experts have put a face to this Egyptian woman who died more than 2000 years ago. “Modern techniques have allowed us to perform a virtual autopsy of the mummy”explained to LiveScience Wojciech Ejsmond, archaeologist from the Polish Academy of Sciences and co-director of the project. For the first time her face is [révélé] to the public and everyone can watch it.” Because yes, the images did not remain in the private domain. They have been on display since November 3 at the Silesia Museum in Katowice, Poland, and will remain on display until March 2023.
Posted by Warsaw Mummy Project Human on Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Posted by Warsaw Mummy Project Human on Tuesday, November 8, 2022
“Although it cannot be considered an exact portrait, the skull, like other anatomical parts, is unique and shows a set of shapes and proportions that will appear partially in the final face”made a point of specifying on Facebook, Chantal Milani, a legal anthropologist and member of the project. “By reconstructing their faces, we “bring them back to life” and restore their identity”, write the project members.
The identity of this mysterious mummy revealed
Above all, this work has made it possible to find new information on the mummy called “the mysterious lady”. “This woman died in her twenties while pregnant. It was recently discovered that there was a likelihood that she had suffered from cancer.”
His identity had been a puzzle for researchers since 2021. The decryptions of the hieroglyphs first led them to the wrong track, suggesting that the remains were that of a priest. Later, x-rays revealed that it was actually the body of a young woman with a fetus between 26 and 30 weeks old in her womb. “This is the first pregnant mummy discovery in the world”said Wojciech Ejsmond.
On Facebook, the team reminded that “For many people, ancient Egyptian mummies are curiosities showcased in museums and inspiring adventures in books, movies and video games. We sometimes forget that these were people like us, who had loved ones whose death was a personal tragedy. Mummification was an expression of the care taken to preserve a person in the afterlife.”
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