Scientists have managed to solve a 3,000-year-old mystery about an Egyptian woman thanks to the use of technology

(CNN) – Scientists at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago examined beneath the wrappings of mummified human remains from ancient Egypt to discover new details about their identities and how they were prepared for the afterlife, all without removing a single piece of linen.

In September, museum staff carried 26 of the mummies on display there in specially constructed carts to the parking lot to run them through a mobile CT scanner. The non-destructive technology resulted in thousands of X-rays of the mummies and their coffins. When the x-rays were stacked they created 3D images that revealed the skeletons and elements inside.

The new knowledge is helping to shed light on the mortuary practices of the Egyptians, more than 3,000 years ago, as well as what they believed was important to carry into the afterlife.

While the scans took about four days to complete, processing and analyzing the 3D renderings can take up to three years, said JP Brown, the museum’s senior curator of anthropology.

In addition to providing information on the best methods to preserve mummies for generations, the scans also offer the opportunity to understand the individuality and personal details of each mummified Egyptian, in a respectful way.

“From an archaeological perspective, it is incredibly rare to be able to research or view history from the perspective of a single individual,” said Stacy Drake, manager of human remains collections at the Field Museum. “This is a really great way to see who these people were, not just the things they did and the stories we’ve made up about them, but also the real people who lived at that time.”

Preparing for the afterlife

“Inside Ancient Egypt” is one of the museum’s most popular exhibits and includes a three-story replica of a type of tomb called a mastaba. The tomb’s burial chambers, dating back to 2400 BC, contain 23 human mummies and more than 30 animal mummies.

Ancient Egyptians believed that the soul remained within the body after death, so embalmers mummified bodies to preserve the spirit for the afterlife, according to scientists at the Field Museum.

The spiritual and biological ritual of mummification could last 70 days, and included the removal of internal organs, except the heart, because it was believed to be the home of the soul. Embalmers used salt to dry the bodies and then wrapped them in linen, sometimes writing prayers or including protective amulets. A ceremonial burial would be the final step in sending the mummified person to the afterlife.

Internal organs removed during the process were typically placed in canopic jars, each of which featured an iconographic lid with one of the four sons of the Egyptian god Horus to protect each organ. Imsety was the god with a human head who protected the liver, while Hapy had a baboon head and protected the lungs. Duamutef, with the head of a jackal, protected the stomach and Qebehsenuef, with the head of a falcon, guarded the intestines.

But new CT scans revealed that some embalmers decided to make packages for the organs and reinsert them inside the mummies. Inside the packages were wax statues of the sons of Horus responsible for protecting them. The statues helped museum scientists identify the organs in each package, Brown said.

The ancient Egyptians viewed the afterlife in a way similar to how modern people think about retirement savings, according to Brown.

Statues representing the high dignitary and scribe Nefer and his wife (Abusir, Egypt).

“It’s something you prepare for, set aside money for a lifetime and hope you have enough at the end to really enjoy it,” he said. “You want to live your best life after death.”

Not all ancient Egyptians were mummified, but the restricted practice was apparently common among the upper middle class and those of high status, Brown said.

The burials of the pharaohs, the rulers of ancient Egypt, were comparable to the status of a high-end car. Like Lady Chenet-aa, one of the museum’s most popular mummies, who had a burial scaled to a high-end luxury car, Brown said.

Lady Chenet-aa lived about 3,000 years ago, during the 22nd Dynasty in Egypt.

The new scans helped scientists estimate that the high-status woman died between the ages of 30 and 40, while the wear on her teeth shows that the food she ate contained rough grains of sand for her enamel.

They put padding in his windpipe to ensure his neck didn’t collapse and artificial eyes were put in his eye sockets to ensure he would have them in the afterlife, Drake said.

“The additions are very literal,” Brown said. “If you want eyes, then there has to be physical eyes, or at least some physical allusion to eyes. “They will give you a prosthesis to make sure you have everything you need when you go to the afterlife.”

Lady Chenet-aa was wrapped in expensive layers of linen before being placed in a decorated cardboard coffin, or paper-mache-like funeral box. But the biggest mystery about the Egyptian was how it was placed in the box in the first place.

There were no visible joints and only a small opening at the feet, not wide enough to slide the body into the box.

The new scans revealed for the first time the underside of the cardboard, showing that the box was essentially corded shut at the back before being covered with plaster to create a seamless aesthetic, Brown said.

The team said embalmers placed the mummy upright and the cardboard was softened with moisture to make it flexible so it could be molded precisely around the body. A cut was made in the back of the cardboard so that the body could be placed inside and then it was closed and sealed with cords.

While a CT scan cannot detect colors, it revealed the artistic designs etched into the top of the cardboard, including knee indentations.

The team also took a closer look at Harwa, a mummified individual who lived about 3,000 years ago and was a barn caretaker. Analysis of the images shows that he was between 40 and 45 years old when he died. By all appearances, he had a high social status and led a comfortable life.

“We started looking at these two individuals primarily to get a better idea of ​​age and sex and any obvious pathology or things we could see,” Drake said. “One thing we are seeing is quite extensive wear on their teeth because they live next to the desert and there will be a lot of sand in their food, or they are using stones to grind their food. But we’re not seeing a lot of wear and tear on the bodies of these two particular individuals, who were of higher status and probably weren’t doing a lot of physical work.”

CT scans help scientists understand chronic diseases people may have had, but the technology also helps correct cases of mistaken identity. While it is evident that Harwa and Lady Chenet-aa had coffins made especially for them, not all mummified individuals were so lucky.

One of the coffins is engraved with hieroglyphics indicating that a priest was buried inside, but the individual was a 14-year-old boy much smaller than the coffin.

“We know that sometimes people wanted to be mummified, but they didn’t always have the best means to do it,” Drake said. “You could get a coffin at a reduced price by borrowing or using someone else’s.”

In the late 19th century, when archaeologists discovered mummies in the deserts of Egypt, they unwrapped them to see what they could learn. Now, the emphasis is on protecting mummified individuals to help them last thousands more years, Brown said.

Today, practices around mummies have changed to show respect for the way human remains are presented and displayed in museums, Drake said. The Field Museum also held talks with Egyptian representatives about the possibility of returning the mummies to Egypt, but those officials requested that the mummies remain on display at the Chicago museum, he said.

Harwa’s adventurous life in the afterlife is an example of how things have changed. In 1939, he became the first mummified person to fly on an airplane, and upon arrival in New York City, he was taken to a Broadway show. It was on display at the New York World’s Fair for two years and then returned to the Field Museum after being lost with luggage and sent to San Francisco.

“Maybe it’s not what we would consider ethical anymore,” Drake said. “One of the most important things for these ancient Egyptians is how they continue to live after death. And that is part of his story and his journey.”

The museum wants to convey the idea that mummies are people, rather than art objects, Brown said.

“We’re trying to understand them as people so we can share those stories and knowledge with the general public to rehumanize and change the narratives, to make them more respectful and give a little more dignity to these mummified individuals,” Drake said.