(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 28 - The 3,500-year-old mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I, discovered in 1881 but never 'discarded' by archaeologists, has been digitally unveiled by some Egyptian scientists, revealing unpublished details on the life and death of the Egyptian king. CNN reports it.
Decorated with flower wreaths and a charming wooden face mask, the mummy was so fragile that archaeologists had never dared to expose its remains, making it the only Egyptian real mummy found in the 19th century and not yet opened by judges.
"By digitally downloading the mummy and 'peeling off' its virtual layers - the face mask, the bandages and the mummy itself - we could study this well-preserved pharaoh with unprecedented details," said Sahar Saleem, professor of radiology at the University of Medicine's Faculty of Medicine. Cairo and Egyptian MummyProject radiologist, in a note.
Saleem and his colleagues found that Amenhotep I was around 35 years old and 169 centimeters tall when he died. He was also circumcised and had healthy teeth. About 30 amulets and a gold belt were found inside the casings.
The pharaoh had a narrow chin, a small, narrow nose, curly hair, and slightly protruding upper teeth, Saleem said.
The investigation did not reveal any injuries or other signs that could reveal the cause of his death.
Amenhotep I ruled Egypt for about 21 years, between 1525 and 1504 BC. He was the second king of the 18th dynasty and led a largely peaceful period of reign, during which he built many temples.
The pharaoh's skull, including his teeth, were in excellent condition.
The researchers found that the mummy had suffered from multiple post-mortem injuries, likely inflicted by ancient tomb robbers, injuries that, according to hieroglyphics, priests and embalmers sought to repair more than four centuries after it was first mummified and buried. The research was published today in Frontiers in Medicine. (HANDLE).