EGYPT, 1935. ARCHAEOLOGISTS EXCAVATING A tomb in the necropolis of Thebes make an unsettling discovery: the mummified remains of an elderly woman, her mouth locked open in a frightful rictus as if screaming in horror.
In a further mystery, recent scans of the "Screaming Woman" revealed that she still possessed her internal organs, most of which would ordinarily have been removed during the embalming process.
If the woman had been mummified poorly, it was initially reasoned, this might explain her horrific expression, with the embalmers having simply neglected to close her mouth prior to her burial some 3,500 years ago.
However, an investigation by researchers from Cairo University and Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has made a case for the awful alternative-the poor woman did indeed die screaming in sheer agony.
"Here we show that she was embalmed with costly, imported embalming material," said paper author and radiologist professor Sahar Saleem, of Cairo University's Kasr AI Ainy Hospital, in a statement.
She continued: "This, and the mummy's well-preserved appearance, contradicts the traditional belief that a failure to remove her inner organs implied poor mummification."
In the study, Saleem took CT scans to allow her to virtually dissect the Screaming Woman and study her condition and state of preservation in fresh detail.
She also studied the materials used in the embalming process using such advanced techniques as scanning electron microscopy in which a surface is probed using a beam of electrons to create a high-resolution image and X-ray diffraction analysis, a non-destructive method that can reveal the chemical composition of a target object. The researchers' analysis of the previously unwrapped mummy revealed that it bore no embalming incision, consistent with how its internal organs (including the brain, lungs and liver) had been left in place.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"
