Spiral computed tomographic study of a pre-Ptolemaic Egyptian mummy

Abstract

We studied an Egyptian mummy housed in the Otago Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the age of the mummy is 2,358 BP, which is the period of the 30th Dynasty of Nakhthorhebe. Serial CT scans show that the heart had been removed, which is unusual among Egyptian mummies. In contrast, the brain had been left in situ. The orbital breadth suggests a degree of hypertelorism, being at the upper limit of the values recorded for ancient Egyptian males. There is extensive dental disease with excessive tooth wear and tooth loss, typical of Egyptian mummies. The wrapping material, examined under SEM, is probably a linen textile with a selvage.