By John Ikani
Egypt has digitally “unwrapped” the mummy of famed Pharaoh Amenhotep I, revealing its secrets for the first time since it was discovered in 1881 without disturbing his funerary mask.
The mummy of Amenhotep I, who ruled from 1525 to 1504 BC, was found at a site in Deir el-Bahari 140 years ago.
But archaeologists have refrained from opening it in order to preserve the exquisite face mask and bandages.
Computed Tomography (CT) scans have now revealed previously unknown information about the pharaoh and his burial.
The research was led by Sahar Saleem, a Professor of radiology at Cairo University, and the renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, a former Antiquities Minister, the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
“We got to see the face of the king that has been wrapped for more than 3,000 years,” said Dr Saleem in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Egyptian study revealed for the first time the face of King Amenhotep I, his age, health condition, in addition to many secrets about the mummy’s unique mummification and reburial,” the statemet added.
Analysis showed Amenhotep I was the first pharaoh to be mummified with arms crossed and the last not to have had his brain removed from the skull.
The tomography scan revealed the Pharaoh, who conducted several military campaigns during his 21-year rule, had died at the age of 35.
Dr Saleem said the scans showed he was in very good physical condition and in good health at the time of his death, with no signs of any wounds or disfigurement due to disease. That suggested he died as a result of an infection or a virus.
The mummy discovered in Luxor, southern Egypt, is the only one not to have had its tight bands unrolled by archaeologists, in order to preserve the mask and garlands of flowers that surround it like hair.
The study also concluded that Amenhotep’s mummy was “lovingly repaired” by priests of the 21st Dynasty, which ruled about four centuries after this death.
