For centuries, the mummies of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I have been imbued with mysterious colors because of their exquisite packaging and lifelike masks. Previously, researchers refused to uncover the secrets of the pharaoh's mummy in order to protect the colorful gems on the mask. However, thanks to the development of science and technology, the truth inside is finally known without destroying the mummy packaging.
According to foreign media reports on December 28, thanks to the new computerized terrain scanning (CT) technology, researchers scanned the mummy to get a glimpse of the secrets behind the wrapping layer. Beneath the envelope, including the garland, Egyptologists discovered some previously unknown details about Amenhotep I's appearance, as well as lavish funerary jewelry.
Egyptologists learned from deciphered hieroglyphs that the mummy was unveiled once in the 11th century BC, more than four centuries after the original mummy was made and buried, but it has not been touched since then and is still well preserved. However, scientists believe that the reason why the second production and burial are so good is both to repair the damage caused by the tomb robbers and to reuse the royal burial equipment.
Dr. Sahar Saleem, a professor of radiology at Cairo University School of Medicine, a radiologist at the Egyptian Mummy Project and the lead author of the study published in the journal Frontiers of Medicine, said their findings overturn those theories. "By digitally dismantling the mummy and 'stripping' its virtual layers – masks, bandages and the mummy itself – we can study this well-preserved pharaoh in unprecedented detail."
Amenhotep I ruled around 1525 BC to 1504 BC and was first discovered in 1881 at an archaeological site in southern Egypt. He witnessed the golden age of ancient Egyptian civilization and was posthumously worshipped as a "god." The scan found that Amenhotep I was about 35 years old at the time of his death, with a narrow chin, a small nose, about 169 centimeters tall, curly hair and intact teeth. In the mummified package, he wears 30 amulets and a unique gold belt inlaid with gold beads.