Zahi Hawss, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, reveals a timber sarcophagus containing a corpse dating back more than 2,300 years on Tuesday, May 3, 2005, at the Saqqara Pyramids complex south of Cairo. The unidentified corpse from the 30th pharaonic dynasty was interred in a 6 meter (20 foot) shaft by sediment. Hawss stated that the cadaver will be CT scanned prior to being displayed in a Saqqara museum. Researchers “digitally unraveled” the mummy of Egyptian king AmenHep I, discovered in 1881, and published their findings in the journal “Frontiers in Medicine” on December 28, 2021. (AP PH๏τo/Amr Nabil)ᴀssOCIATED PRESS
The mummified remains of Egyptian pharaoh AmenH๏τep I was discovered in 1881, but it had never been unwrapped for study, until now — and that was accomplished without having to remove a single layer of the embalming linen, Egyptian scientists say.
According to a report by NBC News, Egyptian scientists used advanced X-ray technology and computed tomography (CT) scanning to disclose the mysteries of Pharaoh Amenhotep I’s mummified corpse.
Zahi Hawss, a prominent Egyptologist and one of the scientists involved in the research, was quoted by NBC as saying, “For the first time, we can learn about the sarcophagus without disrupting it.”
The findings are described in a study co-authored by Hawss and Dr. Sahar Saleem, a radiology professor at Cairo University’s department of medicine, and published on Tuesday, according to the news source.
According to CNN, Saleem stated that the well-preserved pharaoh could be examined “in unprecedented detail” using non-invasive digital techniques.
CNN cited Saleem, who along with her colleagues determined that AmenHep I was approximately 35 years old and 169 centimeters (5.5 feet) tall at the time of his death. Saleem elaborated, “He had a thin jawline, a thin nose, curly hair, and slightly prominent upper teeth.” In addition to having excellent teeth, he was also circumcised.
The scans revealed that the king was buried with 30 amulets and jewelry pieces, as well as a beaded metallic girdle, Yahoo! News reported.
With no signs of any wounds or disfigurement due to disease, the research suggested AmenH๏τep I died as a result of an infection or a virus, the BBC reported.
According to NBC News, AmenH๏τep I ruled Egypt for about 21 years between 1525 to 1504 BC.