Voice from the past: Researchers have been able to decipher the voice of a 3,000-year-old mummy
By means of cutting-edge equipment, a group of British researchers succeeded in reconstructing the sound ways of an Egyptian religious woman and producing a sound from them. The mummy, displayed at the Leeds Museum in the Kingdom, is that of Nassiamon, who lived in Egypt in the 11th century BC. According to the researchers, the discovery will affect the study of the preservation of bodies from other periods in history
Mummy Nassiamon goes through a CT scanner to recover her voice
Ancient Pastor Nassimon's Mummy Inserted into CT Scanner to Test His Voice (Photo: Official Website)
Scholars have been able to recover the voice of an ancient Egyptian cleric, for the first time since he died and became a mummy 3,000 years ago. The mummy, Nassiamon, lived during the 11th Ramses period that ruled the early 11th century BC in Egypt.
The mummy, which is currently in a museum in the city of Leeds, UK, has become a re-research topic. Her sarcophagus opened in 1824, from which it is revealed that the cleric died in his 50s. At first, his death was thought to be as a result of suffocation, but then the suspicion was tested to be due to an allergic reaction to an insect that stung him in his tongue. In fact, one of the researchers explained that the mummy's tongue was found to protrude, but no bones were damaged around the neck.
While Nassiamon was unlucky in his death, his mummy was transported shortly before the bombing in the city of Leeds, where the museum is located, and was thus saved. Now, a group of researchers have been able to "print" Nassiamon's voice on a 3D printer.
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"We created Nassimon's voice as it sounds in the coffin," said one of the researchers, Professor David Howard, head of the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of London. He said it was a sound that came from his voice and not part of a word. Investigators say the mummy was taken to a city hospital, where she underwent CT exams, which helped produce the sound emanating from Mansiamon through the printer.
However, the embalming and burial process took its toll. The mummy's tongue was shrinking, and a slice of the palate was missing, forcing researchers to complete it virtually. They then connected speakers to the model that built the mummy's throat, and injected air into the vocal tract - which created her voice.
Howard said that "the throaty sound that was heard was electronic and if it was played by Nassiamon, it would have pulsed air through the throat which would have made the sound more real." According to him, if the tongue-in-cheek theory put forth as the cause of his death was true, the last burst of speech should sound like "Oh!" Or "Oh." The group claimed that the sound that came from the mummy was more like "Io". Howard noted that the sound sounded closer to what was heard after the mummy body was strangled and placed in the coffin.
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To the full articleA cross-sectional copy of the Mummy Soundways, Leeds Museum in the United Kingdom
A cut of a three-dimensional printed copy of the mummy's soundtrack at the Leeds Museum in the UK (Photo: official website)
The team analyzed data and recordings of a modern male voice, and concluded that according to Nassiamon's throat cavity structure and the sound it heard, his voice seemed to be higher than the average male today.
Investigators say the mummy's voice was essential to her in the past. Nassiamon served as a cleric during his lifetime and engaged in public speaking as part of his role. "All Egyptians hoped that after his death his soul could speak, to cite the negative confessions and to tell the gods about the good life they had been through," said a team researcher, Prof. Joan Fletcher, from the Department of Archeology at York University in the United Kingdom. "Only if the gods agreed to it - could the souls come to the next world. If they fail the test, they will die another eternal death," she added. She said those who passed the gods test received the "voice of truth," as written on Nassiamon's coffin, alongside his name.
Professor John Schofield, an archeologist who was part of the mummy's research team, said the findings the group may offer are a new way of exploring the past. He says this is a groundbreaking event that could intrigue many to come to the museum. "Hearing the voice of a mummy from 3,000 years ago can burst into people's memory."
A milestone for further research
Schofield added that the researchers intend to develop a computerized model that will allow sound waves to be explored, until complete words. He said Nassiamon's sound is not necessarily realistic, but his way will allow researchers to make additional sounds he made during his lifetime. He added that the discovery could also help with other cases of preserving corpses from the Iron Age.
Salima Ikram, an Egyptian professor at the American University of Cairo, made the discovery and said it would be a useful comparison to make 3D models of humans to do the research. "The study provided a unique sound from the past and connected us to Simon, whose voice was played in the 21st century," she said.