The screaming woman. Scientists have revealed new details of the life and death of the most mysterious Egyptian mummy

The mummy of the "screaming woman," whose facial expression has been compared to the terrifying mask from the cult movie Scream, is one of Egypt's most famous and mysterious mummies. The remains of the Egyptian woman were found in a tomb near Luxor back in 1935, but scientists conducted a new examination to find out why the woman was found with her mouth open.

Experts used computed tomography to reveal details about the mummy's morphology, health, and preservation, as well as infrared light and other advanced techniques to "virtually open" the mummy. A new study suggests that an ancient Egyptian woman may have died a violent death, CNN writes.

According to the new data, the woman, who died about 3,500 years ago, was very well embalmed with incense and juniper resin. "She was embalmed with expensive imported material," said Sahar Salim, author of the study, professor of radiology at Qasr Al-Aini Hospital at Cairo University.

The researchers found no incisions on the body, meaning that the brain, diaphragm, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, and intestines are still present. And this is very strange. After all, the classical method of mummification of that period included the removal of all such organs except the heart.

It was also found that the woman died at the age of 48 and was 1.54 meters tall. As for the diseases, the Egyptian woman suffered from mild arthritis of the spine, as the scan revealed bone spurs on some vertebrae. Several teeth were missing from her jaw, which were probably lost before her death.

However, the study was unable to determine the exact cause of death, as well as what caused the horrified expression on the woman's face. But the scientists did come up with an interesting hypothesis.

Prof. Sahar Saleem said that the well-preserved nature of the mummy, the rarity and cost of the embalming material, and other funerary methods such as the use of a date palm wig and rings placed on the body rule out the negligence of the mummification process. The researchers ask themselves: why did the embalmers neglect to close her mouth? After all, they usually wrapped cloth bandages around the jawbone and skull to prevent the deceased's mouth from opening.

According to the study, the mummy's "screaming expression" could be interpreted as a cadaveric spasm, a rare form of muscle stiffness associated with violent death. This means that the woman was screaming in agony or pain and died at that time.

The authors of the study suggested that she was mummified for 18-36 hours after her death before her body relaxed or decomposed. Therefore, the open mouth position at the time of death was preserved.

However, according to the researchers, there are several other factors, including the decomposition process, the rate of drying, and the force of the wrappings, which could have influenced the mummy's facial expression.

"Burial procedures or postmortem alterations may have contributed to the change in the 'screaming mummy' face. The true story or circumstances of this woman's death are unknown, so the cause of her screaming face cannot be determined for certain," Sahar Saleem concluded.

The "Screaming Woman" was buried under the tomb of Senmut, the architect of the temple of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC), who held important positions. According to the study, it is believed that the woman with the open mouth was a relative of Senmut.

The remains of the Egyptian woman were found during an expedition led by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and her coffin is on display there today. The mummified body of the "screaming woman" is kept in the Cairo Egyptian Museum.

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