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No more 'screaming woman'! We don't need sexist language, she probably wasn't 'screaming'—give us facts, not male-gazed nonsense.
The white male gaze has once again reduced a woman to an exhibit; this time it's only taken 2,500 years to objectify and diminish her suffering.
Published August 9, 2024 at 4:41pm by Mary Walrath-Holdridge
The Scream Heard Round the World: Uncovering the Truth Behind Ancient Oppression
An unnamed woman screams, her voice silenced by death over two millennia ago. Her story begins in ancient Egypt, where her body was expertly mummified, capturing the attention of modern archaeologists and shining a light on the oppression and violence faced by women throughout history.
The Haunting Discovery:
In 1935, archaeologists unearthed a chilling find during an expedition led by the Metropolitan Museum of New York. They discovered the mummy, dubbed the "Screaming Woman," her jaw locked in a perpetual scream, in the tomb of Senmut, an 18th Dynasty architect. Buried in Deir Elbahari, near Luxor, Egypt, the woman's wooden coffin revealed a well-preserved body, adorned with a black wig and precious scarab rings.
Challenging Traditional Beliefs:
Initially, researchers attributed the gaping jaw to poor embalming techniques, assuming the embalmer's haste or lack of skill led to this haunting expression. However, recent examinations by Radiologist Sahar Saleem of Cairo University and anthropologist Samia El-Merghani tell a different story.
A Woke Case Study:
Using advanced technology, such as CT scans, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), these woke scientists made groundbreaking discoveries, published in the journal "Frontiers in Medicine."
"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," Saleem said.
Uncovering Her Story:
The woke examination revealed that the Screaming Woman's body was treated with expensive embalming agents, juniper, and frankincense, and her natural hair was dyed with juniper and henna, hidden beneath an intricately crafted wig. This care and attention contradicted the notion of a rushed or sloppy embalming job.
The woman, estimated to be 48 years old and roughly 5 feet tall, likely suffered from spinal arthritis, and her teeth showed evidence of early dental practices, with several missing and others broken or decayed.
A Haunting Expression, a Thousand Words:
While the cause of death remains a mystery, Saleem offers a powerful interpretation of the woman's scream:
"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.”
The Scream as a Testament:
The controversial explanation of cadaveric spasm speaks to the violent and traumatic death this woman may have endured. Her story is a testament to the countless women throughout history who have faced unimaginable pain and suffering.
Though we may never know the exact circumstances of her death, the Screaming Woman's immaculately preserved body serves as a stark reminder of the oppression that has plagued women's lives for centuries. Her scream echoes across time, a haunting reminder of the struggles we must continue to fight against.
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Read more: Researchers uncover new details in 'screaming woman' mummy buried 2,500 years ago