Discovered in 1935 near the tomb of Senmut in Luxor, Egypt, the "Screaming Woman" mummy baffled researchers for a long time.
The 48-year-old woman was buried in a wooden coffin. She was well-preserved, and embalmed 3,500 years ago with expensive imported ingredients like juniper oil and frankincense resin.
According to a recent study, published in the journal Frontiers of Medicine, she may have died "screaming from agony." The researchers used CT scans and X-ray analysis.
Her mouth was stretched open, possibly due to cadaveric spasm, a rare form of muscular stiffening occurring at the moment of death, preserving the facial expression of agony.
The examination revealed she had mild arthritis, lost some teeth, and was 1.54m tall, with no signs of periodontal disease or cavities.
While the cause of death is inconclusive, theories include a heart attack, stroke, or excruciating pain, based on evidence of cardiovascular disease in mummies from that time period.
Sources: KPBS, CBS News, PopSci, Newsweek, Independent, CNN Español, Live Science, CNN, Sky News, NY Post, El Pais, Ars Technica, Science News, El Cordillerano, Daily News Egypt, Gizmodo, Alagoas 24 Horas, Times of India, La Voz, ABC News
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
