Anthropological and analytical studies of two Egyptian human mummies’ heads from Deir-el-Medineh Catherine Vieillescazes

https://www.academia.edu/110049520/Anthropological_and_analytical_studies_of_two_Egyptian_human_mummies_heads_from_Deir_el_Medineh?rhid=41993012798&swp=rr-rw-wc-125174765&nav_from=28f23901-a4d1-4c53-aeda-e93708f0ff05 This paper focused on a multidisciplinary study of mummification balms' constituents from two Egyptian mummies' heads belonging to the Osteology collection of the Confluences museum in Lyon (France). These individuals come from the same necropolis, Deir el-Medineh in Upper Egypt. They were coated with particular substances not often encountered in studies of mummification balms. The objective was to identify the composition of the two types of samples found on each individual: an amorphous material resembling mummy balm and a sandy substance. The knowledge of the anthropology and the mummification practices associated to analytical chemistry study of the balms permitted to obtain a global characterization of these persons. The FTIR and GC-MS results notably permitted to observe (i) the presence of fat and beeswax within the amorphous black samples and (ii) the presence of natron, fatty matter and mastic resin within the sandy samples; this types of samplings are uncommon in ancient Egypt.

A REVIEW ON THE MATERIALS USED DURING THE MUMMIFICATION PROCESSES IN ANCIENT EGYPT Abdelrahman Elamin

https://www.academia.edu/40019116/A_REVIEW_ON_THE_MATERIALS_USED_DURING_THE_MUMMIFICATION_PROCESSES_IN_ANCIENT_EGYPT?rhid=41993012798&swp=rr-rw-wc-125174765&nav_from=0e1a4b4f-1795-487d-af15-025344bd6f9e Mummification is considered one of the most important in the history of ancient Egyptian civilization. The artificial mummification process started in the Fourth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom reached its peak in the New Kingdom. This review focuses on the usage of mummification materials such as Natron salt, Coniferous resin, Mastic, Myrrh, Beeswax, Bitumen, Cassia, Onions, Lichen, Henna and Gum Arabic in ancient Egypt to determine their effectiveness in the preservation of the body. For each material, the chemical formula, the history, and the role in the preservation of the body are presented. It is shown that natron salt was the most important material to desiccate a corpse, and that the vegetable materials mentioned above have anti-bacterial properties that protected the body from microbial attack.

Experimental mummification—In the tracks of the ancient Egyptians Frank Rühli 2020, Clinical Anatomy

https://www.academia.edu/125174765/Experimental_mummification_In_the_tracks_of_the_ancient_Egyptians?rhid=41992997329&swp=rr-rw-wc-122380695&nav_from=ce8b0005-be94-440c-a8ed-c87466a701d2 Understanding natural and artificial postmortem alterations in different tissues of the human body is essential for bioarchaeology, paleogenetics, physical anthropology, forensic medicine, and many related disciplines. With this study, we tried to gain a better understanding of tissue alterations associated with the artificial mummification techniques of ancient Egypt, in particular for mummified visceral organs. We used several entire porcine organs and organ sections (liver, lung, stomach, ileum, and colon), which provided a close approximation to human organs. First, we dehydrated the specimens in artificial natron, before applying natural ointments, according to the ancient literary sources and recent publications. We periodically monitored the temperature, pH value, and weight of the specimens, in addition to radiodensity and volumetric measurements by clinical computed tomography and sampling for histological, bacteriological, and molecular analyses. After seven weeks, mummification was seen completed in all organs. We observed a considerable loss of weight and volume. We observed similar courses in the decay of tissue architecture but varying levels of DNA degradation. Bacteriologically we did not detect any of the initially identified taxa in the samples by the end of the mummification process, nor any fungi. This feasibility study established an experimental protocol for future experiments modeling ancient Egyptian mummification of visceral organs using human specimens. Understanding desiccation and mummification processes in non-pathological tissues of specific visceral organs may help to identify and interpret disease-specific alterations in mummified tissues in ancient Egyptian canopic jars and organ packages contained in whole mummies.

The opening of the mouth"--a new perspective for an ancient Egyptian mummification procedure Liliane Seiler

https://www.academia.edu/122380695/The_opening_of_the_mouth_a_new_perspective_for_an_ancient_Egyptian_mummification_procedure?rhid=41992939943&swp=rr-rw-wc-87592673&nav_from=5978ce4d-16b1-44df-96b9-0723b70e78b3 The opening of the mouth ritual" (OMR) is a central and welldocumented component of the Ancient Egyptian mortuary ceremony. In the scientific literature, we find various references that indicate that parts of this ritual correspond to physical opening of the deceased's mouth during its mummification. We denote this physical treatment of the dead the "opening of the mouth procedure," to underline the distinction against the "opening of the mouth ritual," which is performed ceremonially later on the mummy or even the statue. The mummifying procedure itself however is known only from rare pictorial representations and the later summary descriptions of Greek authors. Nevertheless, recently some authors tried, on the basis of paleopathological findings, to demonstrate that the mouth of the deceased had to be opened physically before mummifying. Careful examination of the mummies of the Swiss Mummy Project and other cases reported in the literature showed frequent dental pathologies including fractured and totally luxated teeth, which were up to now not sufficiently taken into consideration. The detailed report of the preliminary procedures of mummifying the Apis bull-as appropriate detailed descriptions for humans are missing-gives us insight into the treatment of the oral cavity. Our results, when combined with the available historical literature, indicate that the OMR can be regarded as a ritualized counterpart of a real "opening of mouth procedure" during mummification.

Scenes from the Past: Multidetector CT of Egyptian Mummies of the Redpath Museum Barbara Lawson, Lana Williams

https://www.academia.edu/16409849/Scenes_from_the_Past_Multidetector_CT_of_Egyptian_Mummies_of_the_Redpath_Museum?rhid=41992939943&swp=rr-rw-wc-87592673&nav_from=31319694-a62a-4427-9ef7-433d18dd3695 As a nondestructive method of historical and anthropologic inquiry, imaging has played an important role in mummy studies over the past several decades. Recent technologic advances have made multidetector computed tomography (CT) an especially useful means for deepening the present understanding of ancient cultures by examining preserved human remains. In April 2011, three ancient Egyptian human mummies from the Redpath Museum of McGill University were examined with 320-section multidetector CT as part of the IMPACT Radiological Mummy Database project headquartered at the University of Western Ontario. Whole-body scanning was performed with a section thickness of 0.5 mm and a peak voltage of 120 kVp, and the raw CT datasets were postprocessed by using smooth body and high-resolution bone convolution filters. Two of the mummies were scanned at different energy levels (80 and 135 keV). The high-resolution CT scans revealed the details of mummification and allowed observations about the socioeconomic and health status of the human subjects based on both the mummification technique used and the appearance of the remains, particularly the bones and teeth. The paleopathologic information obtained from the scans confirmed some findings in studies performed in the same mummies in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The CT scans also demonstrated a high degree of variability in Egyptian mortuary practice, variability that is not generally recognized in the literature. Unusual features that were observed included a relatively uncommon retained heart in mummy RM2718, retained lungs in a mummy from which the heart had been extracted (RM2720), and a cartonnage plaque placed over the left abdomen of a mummy that had been eviscerated transperineally (RM2717). © RSNA, 2012 •

A Ptolemaic mummy reveals evidence of invasive dentistry in ancient Egypt IOANNIS PANTAZIS 2020, The Anatomical Record

https://www.academia.edu/87592673/A_Ptolemaic_mummy_reveals_evidence_of_invasive_dentistry_in_ancient_Egypt?rhid=41992918871&swp=rr-rw-wc-12496204&nav_from=c9a8d955-b902-449d-aaf6-023c5a21d28b Over the last decades, it has been confirmed that computerized tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for studying mummies. In joint efforts put forth by the Mummy Research Project of the Hellenic Institute of Egyptology, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Athens Medical Center, a mummy was transported to the Radiology Department of the Athens Medical Center for study. Thus, a complete CT-scanning was performed of this Ptolemaic mummy (AIG 3343: Sekhem, male, 150-30 BCE), belonging to the Egyptian Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The most significant finding is an interproximal carious cavity packed with protective material. This is the second case of dental packing in the literature among ancient Egyptian mummies studied to date. Its remarkable resemblance to the previously published study may indicate a common dental intervention performed by ancient Egyptians. Despite the wellknown early medical traditions of ancient Egypt, spanning from the Old Kingdom to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, little evidence remains of their practices in dentistry. Our finding represents a rare perspective on the origins of what remains today a major allied health field discipline.

Elias, J, Lupton, C, and Hoppa R D, 2015 Evidence of Trepanation in a 26th Dynasty Mummy from Akhmim, Egypt. VIIth World Congress on Mummy Studies. San Diego, California. Poster originally presented June 2011 Electronic publication pending. Jonathan Elias

https://www.academia.edu/12496204/Elias_J_Lupton_C_and_Hoppa_R_D_2015_Evidence_of_Trepanation_in_a_26th_Dynasty_Mummy_from_Akhmim_Egypt_VIIth_World_Congress_on_Mummy_Studies_San_Diego_California_Poster_originally_presented_June_2011_Electronic_publication_pending?rhid=41992766300&swp=rr-rw-wc-33323808&nav_from=8d575fb4-13f9-468e-ac10-68370f1c7c07 Very few instances of surgical trepanation/craniotomy are seen in the Egyptian archaeological record. The rarity of the procedure reflects the tendency among ancient Egyptian physicians (reflected in the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus) to avoid operating on head injuries. Recent CT examinations of a 26th Dynasty mummy associated with the funerary specialist Djedhor, found at Akhmim around 1886, have revealed evidence of a surgical opening with substantial dimensions (53 mm A-P x 43.5 mm R-L) in the summit of his cranium . This opening is arguably one of the boldest craniotomies carried out in ancient Egypt. The earliest scan carried out on this mummy (1986) missed this feature altogether, but a second scan in 2006 detected it and resulted in a 3D-printed model of the skull which showed a lesion in the upper margin of the subject’s left orbit. This lesion is considered serious enough to have induced ancient physicians to have attempted trepanation as a means of reducing intracranial pressure for purposes of relieving the subject’s pain. The linkage of the two features is plausible. The latest CT exam (April 2011) was undertaken to provide better views of the edge of the trepanation hole to establish whether there is remodeling of the bone suggestive of healing, or whether the procedure was conducted post-mortem as part of ritual processing during mummification.