By Charlene Gubash and
Yuliya Talmazan
-
NBC News
CAIRO - Egyptian scientists have unwrapped a 3,500-year-old mummy of Egyptian royalty, without removing a single layer of the linen embalming.
Instead, they used advanced X-ray technology and a CT scan to glimpse the mummified body of King Amenhotep I and the secrets it has held for millennia.
"For the first time we can get information from the mummy without disturbing it,"
said Zahi Hawass, a leading Egyptologist and one of the scientists involved in the research.
[NASA launches the James Webb Space Telescope, humanity's largest and most powerful observatory]
The sarcophagus of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I, from the Valley of the Kings, in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.DE AGOSTINI PICTURE LIBRARY / De Agostini via Getty Images
The findings were published Tuesday in a study co-authored by Hawass and Dr. Sahar Saleem, a professor of radiology in the department of medicine at Cairo University.
Using scanning technology, the researchers were able to see the face of the ancient king.
They also learned about his age, height, and how healthy he was when he died.
The 3-D images from the study showed that Amenhotep I had an oval face with a narrow chin, a small nose, and slightly protruding upper teeth.
He was around 35 years old at the time of his death, based on analysis of his bones, and was generally in good health, with no apparent illnesses or injuries that could indicate how he died.
Notably, his teeth were also intact.
The study also revealed that Amenhotep I's brain was not removed during the mummification process, unlike most modern-day kings such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II, and that he was buried with 30 charms and a gold-beaded belt. .
An image with a CT scan of the head of Pharaoh Amenhotep I. Courtesy Zahi Hawass
Amenhotep I ruled Egypt for about 21 years between 1525 and 1504 BC His original tomb has never been located, but his mummy was found in 1881 in a new tomb at Luxor.
[Modern birds would have descended from dinosaurs]
The CT scanning technology used on the mummy is typically used in clinical studies on the bodies of living human beings, Saleem told our sister network NBC News on WhatsApp on Tuesday.
But it can also help the study of mummies in a non-invasive way.
"Today we no longer physically dissect mummies," said Saleem, who lives in Cairo, Egypt's capital.
"We conserve our heritage and study it with non-invasive techniques," he added.
They unearth a Peruvian mummy that is between 800 and 1,200 years old
Nov. 30, 202101: 55
With Amenhotep I, Saleem said they took thousands of cross-sections of very thin CT images of the mummy.
When combined, the images formed a complete 3D reconstruction of the king's body, he explained.
"Like slices of toast, when you put them together, they make a complete loaf of bread," Saleem said.
"The technique allowed me to digitally remove the wrapping to visualize the amulets between the layers and visualize the face of the mummy," he said.
Hawass, who also resides in Cairo, said it is not the first time a mummy has been digitally scanned, but indicated that it
is the first full analysis to be carried out using this technique.
[World AIDS Day: Why does COVID-19 have a vaccine and HIV not after 40 years?]
In an audio message sent through WhatsApp, he assured that he hopes to use this technology again soon.
"Now we are planning to do the same type of study on all royal mummies," Hawass said.
Charlene Gubash reported from Cairo. Yuliya Talmazan reported from London.