'Screaming Woman' Mummy May Have Died in Agony 3,500 Years Ago

Latest News

Reported by Ancient Origins:

In 1935, an archaeological expedition led by the Metropolitan Museum of New York unearthed a fascinating and eerie find in the tombs of Deir Elbahari near Luxor, Egypt. Beneath the tomb of Senmut, a prominent architect and possible lover of Queen Hatshepsut, archaeologists discovered a separate burial chamber containing the mummified remains of an elderly woman. Her mouth was agape, frozen in what appeared to be a scream, earning her the nickname the "Screaming Woman."

For decades, this mummy has captivated researchers, and recent studies using advanced scientific techniques have provided new insights into her life, death, and the mysterious expression she carried to the grave. The findings have just been published in the science journal Frontiers in Medicine.

The mummy of the Screaming Woman was initially kept at the Kasr Al Ainy School of Medicine in Cairo, where it was studied alongside other royal mummies, including that of Tutankhamun. In 1998, she was moved to the Cairo Egyptian Museum, but her coffin and rings have been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of New York since their discovery.

The latest research, led by Dr. Sahar Saleem, a professor of radiology at Kasr Al Ainy Hospital of Cairo University, has utilized cutting-edge technology to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding this mummy. Using computed tomography (CT) scans, the team was able to virtually dissect the mummy, estimating her age, identifying pathologies, and examining her state of preservation.

Despite being buried for approximately 2,500 years, the Screaming Woman's body remains in remarkably good condition. Her teeth, although worn and missing in places, suggest that she lost several teeth before death, evidenced by bone resorption in the sockets. She also showed signs of mild arthritis in her spine, a common condition in older adults.

Read more here.