Researchers use CT scans to digitally peek at ancient Egyptian mummies

All the fun of opening up a mummy, without the fear of unleashing a plague.

Zesch et al., PLOS One, 2020
  • Three long dead Egyptians recently had their CT images taken.
  • The scans revealed what was, and was not, done during their mummification.
  • The finds shed more light on how the Egyptians were inspired by the Greeks and Romans.
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Back to back excavations unearth two dozen Egyptian mummies

Well preserved coffins hint towards more discoveries in a famed necropolis.

Credit: The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Facebook
  • Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered more than two dozen sarcophagi in the last month.
  • Experts predict more discoveries in the coming weeks.
  • Their discovery is another credit to Saqqara, the necropolis of the old capital of Memphis.
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The pagan origins of three Catholic practices

A few traditions in the Roman Catholic Church can be traced back to pagan cults, rites, and deities.

Photo by Josh Applegate / Unsplash
  • The Catholic rite of Holy Communion parallels pre-Christian Greco-Roman and Egyptian rituals that involved eating the body and blood of a god.
  • A number of Catholic holidays and myths, such as Christmas, Easter, and Mardi Gras, graph onto the timeline of pre-Christian fertility festivals.
  • The Catholic practice of praying to saints has been called "de-facto idolatry" and even a relic of goddess worship.
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A mummy murder has been solved after 2,600 years

Researchers confirmed that the mummy known as Takabuti died from a stab wound to the back.

Ulster Museum
  • The mummy Takabuti has inspired a great deal of speculation since it was first unwrapped in 1835.
  • Takabuti died when she was between 20 and 30, leading researchers to wonder about her cause of death.
  • New techniques have enabled researchers to determine that Takabuti died from a stab wound to the back, among other interesting findings.
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Listen: Scientists re-create voice of 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy

Scientists used CT scanning and 3D-printing technology to re-create the voice of Nesyamun, an ancient Egyptian priest.

  • Scientists printed a 3D replica of the vocal tract of Nesyamun, an Egyptian priest whose mummified corpse has been on display in the UK for two centuries.
  • With the help of an electronic device, the reproduced voice is able to "speak" a vowel noise.
  • The team behind the "Voices of the Past" project suggest reproducing ancient voices could make museum experiences more dynamic.
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