The Screaming Woman was buried more than three thousand years ago in the tomb of Senmut, one of the royal architects of Hatshepsut’s 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Senmut’s tomb contained a separate space for his mother and other relatives and was discovered in 1935.
The mummified woman was also a relative of Senmut, and although her name is unknown, she was given a lavish burial. He was buried in a wooden coffin with two rings of silver and gold and other jewels, and on his head there was a woven cap.
In order to obtain more information about the mummified woman and how she died, the researchers studied her remains with great precision. They prepared a CT scan of his body to study it in 3D and perform a virtual autopsy. They also analyzed the samples with many tools and methods, such as scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis, to determine the compounds used to embalm her.
By examining the mummy, the researchers determined that the height of the woman was 1.54 meters. He died at the age of 48 and had arthritis. He also lost a few teeth, which probably happened during his lifetime, as his jawbone had healed somewhat after the teeth fell out.
The specific cause of the woman’s death was not identified, but the interesting thing about her body was that her brain, diaphragm, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and intestines were intact. This is not unheard of, but it is rare. Removal of most body parts was a common practice during embalming.
