Saleem Sahar N, Seddik Sabah Abd El-Razek, El-Halwagy Mahmoud
Department of Radiology, Kasr Al Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 24;9:1028377. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1028377. eCollection 2022.
Ancient Egyptian mummies represent an opportunity to learn more about the health, beliefs, and skills of humans in antiquity. A fully wrapped mummy, from a Late Ptolemaic cemetery (c.332-30 BC) in Edfu, Egypt, has been stored, unexamined, at the Cairo Egyptian Museum since 1916. We hypothesized that scanning and 3D-printing the mummy using Computed Tomography (CT) could help in documenting and promoting its public display. CT enabled non-invasive digital unwrapping and revealed a well-preserved mummy. Biological sex could be determined from the presence of male genitalia; epiphyseal fusion and tooth eruption indicated an approximate age at death of 14-15 years. The deceased had healthy teeth and bones without evidence of poor nutrition or disease. CT detected a high-quality mummification process that included brain removal through an iatrogenic defect of the cribriform plate and viscera removal a left lower-abdominal incision. The heart remained in the chest as a spiritual symbol. Resin was poured into the emptied cranial and torso cavities, and linen packs were placed inside the torso. The Mummy's external ornamentation includes a gilded head mask, a pectoral cartonnage, and a pair of sandals. CT identified 49 amulets inside the mummy and between the wrappings, arranged in three columns. The amulets have 21 different shapes, including Udjat, scarabs, Ajet, Djed-pillar, Tyt, Placenta, Double-Plume, and Right-angle. CT densities indicated that 30 (61%) amulets were metal (likely gold), and the other amulets were made of faience, stones, or fired clay. The embalmers placed amulets to protect and provide vitality for the body for the afterlife. A gold tongue amulet was placed inside the mouth to ensure the deceased could speak in the afterlife. A Two-finger amulet was placed beside the penis to protect the embalming incision. 3D-printing enabled the tactile and visual study of a heart scarab found inside the thoracic cavity. Findings from this study suggest that ancient Egyptians valued their children and provided them with ritual treatment. State-of-the-art techniques such as CT and 3D printing provided valuable insights and supported the museum display of the mummy, nicknamed "The Golden Boy."
古埃及木乃伊为我们提供了一个更多地了解古代人类健康、信仰和技能的契机。一具来自埃及埃德福晚期托勒密墓地（约公元前332年至公元前30年）的完全包裹好的木乃伊自1916年以来一直存放在开罗埃及博物馆，未经检查。我们推测，使用计算机断层扫描（CT）对这具木乃伊进行扫描和3D打印有助于记录并推动其公开展览。CT实现了非侵入性数字解包，揭示出一具保存完好的木乃伊。通过男性生殖器的存在可以确定生物性别；骨骺融合和牙齿萌出表明死亡时的大致年龄为14至15岁。死者牙齿和骨骼健康，没有营养不良或疾病的迹象。CT检测到高质量的木乃伊制作过程，包括通过筛板的医源性缺损移除大脑以及通过左下腹部切口移除内脏。心脏作为一种精神象征保留在胸腔内。树脂被倒入清空的颅腔和体腔内，亚麻包被放置在躯干内。这具木乃伊的外部装饰包括一个镀金的头罩、一个胸饰硬纸盒和一双凉鞋。CT在木乃伊内部和包裹物之间识别出49个护身符，排列成三列。这些护身符有21种不同的形状，包括荷鲁斯之眼、圣甲虫、阿杰特、杰德柱、泰特、胎盘、双羽饰和直角。CT密度表明30个（占61%）护身符是金属材质（可能是黄金），其他护身符由彩釉、石头或烧制的粘土制成。防腐师放置护身符是为了保护尸体并为来世赋予活力。一个金舌护身符被放置在口中，以确保死者在来世能够说话。一个双指护身符被放置在阴茎旁边，以保护防腐切口。3D打印使得对在胸腔内发现的心脏圣甲虫进行触觉和视觉研究成为可能。这项研究的结果表明，古埃及人重视他们的孩子，并为他们提供了仪式性的待遇。CT和3D打印等先进技术提供了有价值的见解，并支持了这具昵称为“金童”的木乃伊在博物馆的展览。
