Researchers find details about 2,500-year-old scream.

Here lies a tale from ancient Egypt, a woman's cryptic cry eternalized.

The 'Screaming Woman'

Buried in 400 BC, her resting place unearthed in 1935, during an archaeological dig led by the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

Location: The tomb of Senmut, an 18th Dynasty architect, in Deir Elbahari, near Luxor, Egypt.

Discovery: A separate burial chamber held the remains of Senmut's mother and an unnamed older woman, now known as the "Screaming Woman," for her jaw, locked in an eternal scream.

Original Theory: Poor embalming, leading to a haughty expression, was the initial theory. The woman's organs, commonly removed, remained, leading researchers to believe the process was rushed or conducted by an unskilled professional.

Rewriting History

Recent Examination:

Radiologist Sahar Saleem (Cairo University) and anthropologist Samia El-Merghani (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) used CT scans and other advanced techniques to dissect the mystery.

Findings: Published in the Frontiers in Medicine journal, the study contradicts the original assumptions.

Evidence: The woman's body was treated with expensive, imported embalming materials: juniper and frankincense. Her natural hair, beneath a wig, was dyed with juniper and henna, and the wig itself was treated with crystals.

Quote: "Here we show that she was embalmed with costly, imported embalming material. This, and the mummy's well-preserved appearance, contradicts the traditional belief that a failure to remove her inner organs implied poor mummification," - Sahar Saleem.

Details: The woman stood at 5 feet tall and was approximately 48 years old when she died. She suffered from spinal arthritis, and her teeth showed signs of early dentistry, with missing and decaying teeth, and evidence of bone resorption.

A Haunting Mystery

The Scream:

The authors propose a new explanation for her chilling expression:

Quote: “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,” - Sahar Saleem.

Cadaveric Spasm: A controversial phenomenon, occurring in deaths after great and prolonged muscular tension, resulting in muscles essentially locking in place, even beyond the rigor mortis stage.

Theory: The Screaming Woman's expression could be a result of mummification performed while her muscles were still contracting, preserving her in a state of extreme muscular tension.

Conclusion

The cause of death remains a mystery. However, the immaculately preserved body, with its haunting expression, provides a snapshot of a woman whose secrets are now laid bare, offering a glimpse into ancient Egypt's mysteries.