The 3,500-year-old mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I, discovered in 1881 but never 'discarded' by archaeologists, has been digitally unveiled thanks to research conducted by the Cairo University in collaboration with the Egyptian Mummy Project and published in the journal Frontiers in Medicines.
Decorated with flower garlands 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 royal mummy found in the 19th century and not yet opened by scholars.
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.
Digital image of the body of Pharaoh Amenhotep I, seen through the bandages and the sarcophagus (source: S. Saleem and Z. Nuwass)
"By digitally downloading the mummy and 'peeling off' its virtual layers, we could study this well-preserved pharaoh in unprecedented detail," said research coordinator, radiologist Sahar Saleem.
From the digital analysis of the mummy it emerged that Amenhotep I was about 35 years old at the time of his death, he was 169 centimeters tall, had been circumcised, had healthy teeth and his upper ones were slightly protruding;
the chin was narrow, the nose small and narrow, and the hair was curly.
The skull of Pharaoh Amenhotep I, seen through the sarcophagus and the bandages (source: S. Saleem and Z. Hawass)
The investigation revealed about 30 amulets and a gold belt among the bandages.
He revealed no wounds or other signs that could reveal the cause of his death, but only multiple post mortem injuries, probably inflicted by ancient tomb robbers, injuries which, according to hieroglyphic texts, priests and embalmers have tried to repair more than four centuries after the burial.
