Subcutaneous Packing in Royal Egyptian Mummies Dated From 18th to 20th Dynasties

Sahar N. Saleem · Zahi Hawass

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Ancient Egypt and Archaeology History of Medicine Studies Paleopathology and ancient diseases

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: It has been widely disseminated in the literature that subcutaneous packing, as part of mummification, was not usually done until the 21st dynasty. We aimed to study by computed tomography (CT) if subcutaneous packing was part of mummification of royal Egyptians dated to 18th to 20th dynasties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the 2- and 3-dimensional CT images of 13 royal mummies dated to circa 1550 to 1153 BC for presence of subcutaneous embalming materials. Among the studied mummies were Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramesses II. We reported the CT characters of any detected subcutaneous embalming materials and noted their impact on the morphology of the involved body part. We correlated the CT findings with the archeological literature. RESULTS: Computed tomographic images showed subcutaneous packing in 12 (92.3%) mummies; whereas the mummy that was previously known as "Thutmose I" showed no such evidence. Subcutaneous packing involved the faces (n = 11), necks (n = 4), torsos (n = 5), and/or extremities (n = 4) of the mummies. Subcutaneous filling materials showed variation in homogeneity and CT densities and they were likely composed of resin, bits of linen with resin, or other substances. Subcutaneous packing procedure succeeded in providing uniform full contour of the involved body regions without causing significant tissue damages. CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous packing procedure was used as part of mummification of royal Ancient Egyptians dated to 18th to 20th dynasties earlier than what was believed in archaeology. The Ancient Egyptian embalmers must have been skilled in dissection and possessed surgical tools that enabled them to perform this fine procedure.

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References

2010Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun's Family 2003The scientific study of mummies 2003Whole-Body Three-Dimensional Multidetector CT of 13 Egyptian Human Mummies 1980An X-Ray Atlas of the Royal Mummies 2004Diagnostic paleoradiology of mummified tissue: interpretation and pitfalls.2012New radiological approach for analysis and identification of foreign objects in ancient and historic mummies 2002Head and Skull Base Features of Nine Egyptian Mummies: Evaluation with High-Resolution CT and Reformation Techniques 2011Mummified Daughters of King Tutankhamun: Archeologic and CT Studies

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