Forensic scientists revealed the facial reconstruction of a pregnant Egyptian mummy, known as “the Mysterious Lady,” using 2D and 3D techniques.
The scientists, working as part of the “Warsaw Mummy Project,” discovered the mummy last year. The remains of the pregnant woman were previously believed to belong to a male priest prior to the discovery.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the Warsaw Mummy Project scientists said they aim to “re-humanize” mummies by using technology.
They noted that the woman died in her 20s during her pregnancy and it was possible that she had cancer.
“Our bones and the skull, in particular, give a lot of information about the face of an individual. Although it cannot be considered an exact portrait the skull like many anatomical parts is unique and shows a set of shapes and proportions that partially will appear in the final face,” the statement quoted Chantal Milani, an Italian forensic anthropologist and member of the project.
The mummy of the “Mysterious Lady” was initially discovered by archaeologists in the area where royal tombs were located in the city of Thebes, located along the Nile River, in the early 19th century.
Scientists noted that the woman died in the 28th week of her pregnancy, some 2,000 years ago, during the reign of Cleopatra.
The mummy was taken to the Polish capital Warsaw in 1826 around the time some of the most important discoveries were made in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. Since 1917, the mummy, belonging to the University of Warsaw, is loaned to the National Museum in Warsaw. It is displayed together with the sarcophagus at the permanent exhibition of the Ancient Art Gallery.
