The mystery of the decapitated mummy found in an attic (PICTURES+VIDEO)
New revelations after exams
An ancient Egyptian mummy’s head ended up in the hands of a private person in England in the 19th century and now, after his death, it has passed into the hands of scientists.
The head was found in an attic of a house in Kent, which was being cleaned out after the owner’s death. During the Victorian period, objects like this often came from Egypt as souvenirs and were passed down the generations to other people. The head was found by a man who inherited it from his brother. We think his brother got it from someone “Dr. Coates” sometime in the early 20th century, but we have no further information on this.
Scientists at Canterbury Christ Church University placed it in a CT scanner and tests revealed the head belonged to an adult woman. The initial results showed that she had a hard diet which wore down her teeth, but her tongue was well preserved. The brain had been removed during the mummification process, and an unknown material was also found in her left nostril and nasal cavity, without being able to distinguish whether it was ancient or more recent.
The exam provides a wealth of information, from her dental status, pathology and retention method, to estimates of age and sex.
The data will be used to create a 3D copy of the head and a reconstruction of the face with its features will be attempted.
