Scientists have been baffled by the mystery of the Egyptian mummy, locked in a silent 'scream' for 3,500 years for almost a century.
The woman was from Luxor, Egypt, lived during Queen Hatshepsut's reign (1479 – 1458BC), and is believed to have died when she was around 48.
But what caused her death remains a mystery, yet it appears ghastly, reflected in the look of horror etched onto the corpse’s face.
The "screaming woman", as she has been named since her discovery 90 years ago, still hides much of her identity despite the intense curiosity she has ignited in archaeologists over the years.
Discovered back in 1935 by an archaeological team from the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the "screaming woman" caught immediate attention and continues to fascinate almost a century later. Her well-preserved body lay in the tomb of an influential ancient Egyptian official, and now, after decades of speculation, scientists are confident they've solved the longstanding enigma.
For many years, experts speculated that her jaw's open state might have resulted from either hasty or inept mummification practices. It was suggested that perhaps the embalmer who prepared her was inexperienced or hurried and neglected to close her mouth before burial, reports the Mirror US.
Amazingly, with the help of modern technology, researchers reckon they now know the grim truth behind her tormented scream. If their conclusions are right, it's truly chilling.
The theory is that the woman "died screaming", according to anthropologist Samia El-Merghani of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, alongside radiologist Sahar Saleem from Cairo University.
The duo authored a report published in Frontiers in Medicine, stating: "Here we show that she was embalmed with costly, imported embalming material. The mummy's screaming facial expression in this study could be read as a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died screaming from agony or pain."
A cadaveric spasm is an unusual phenomenon where muscles stiffen immediately at death and stay contracted during the onset of rigor mortis. However, its existence is hotly debated among scientists, with some claiming it's not real.
It usually appears in scenarios where the deceased experienced intense prolonged muscle activity, hence it's often linked to "violent deaths under extreme physical conditions and intense emotion".
"We suggested that the reason for this opened mouth could be due to a painful death or emotional stress and cadaveric spasm made her face frozen to the appearance at time of death," Saleem noted in a press statement.
"The embalmers were unable to close the mouth and mummified the contracted body before it decomposed or relaxed, preserving her open mouth after death."
A variety of tests were conducted on the mummy, including a 'virtual autopsy', which astonishingly revealed that the woman's organs and teeth were in an exceptional state of preservation. This innovative technique enabled researchers to ascertain that she was approximately 48 years old and stood at about 1.54 metres tall, just over 5 feet, when she passed away.
The presence of bone spurs on her vertebrae suggested she likely suffered from spinal arthritis, and her teeth bore evidence of early dental practices.
The mummy was also adorned with a wig crafted from braided date palm fibres, which bore traces of juniper, frankincense, and various minerals. While there is ongoing debate among scientists regarding whether the woman experienced pain at the time of her death, Saleem noted that her remarkably preserved remains "is a true time capsule of the way that she died and was mummified".
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