Pregnant Egyptian mummy revealed by scientists
A team of Polish scientists say they have discovered the only known example of an embalmed pregnant Egyptian mummy.
Warsaw Mummy Project
The discovery was made by researchers at the Warsaw Mummy Project and revealed in the Journal of Archaeological Science on Thursday.
The project, started in 2015, uses technology to examine artefacts housed at the National Museum in Warsaw.
The mummy was previously thought to be a male priest but scans reveal it was a woman in the later stages of pregnancy.
Experts from the project believe the remains are most likely of a high-status woman, aged between 20 and 30, who died during the 1st Century BC.
“Presented here is the only known example of a mummified pregnant woman and the first radiological images of such a foetus,” they wrote in the journal article announcing the find.
A CT scanner and radiologists have been assisting the archaeological work.
“This is our most important and most significant finding so far, a total surprise,” team member Wojciech Ejsmond of the Polish Academy of Sciences told the Associated Press.
Four bundles, thought to be wrapped and embalmed organs, were found within the mummy’s abdominal cavity but scientists say the foetus had not been removed from the uterus.
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The scientists said it was unclear why it had not been extracted and embalmed separately, but speculated spiritual beliefs about the afterlife or physical difficulties with removal may have contributed.