Decoding Egypt's past: How modern tech unveils mummy secrets

In September of this year, museum staff transported 26 mummies on special carts to the museum's parking lot, where they were examined using a portable CT scanner. This non-invasive device created thousands of X-ray images which, when combined, allowed the creation of a three-dimensional image of the interior of the mummies and the accompanying artifacts.

Thanks to analyses, which could take up to three years, scientists not only gain a deeper understanding of ancient burial practices but also the possibility of more accurately learning the individual stories of people who lived over 3,000 years ago.

From an archaeological perspective, it is incredibly rare that you get to investigate or view history from the perspective of a single individual. This is a really great way for us to look at who these people were — emphasizes Stacy Drake, the curator of human remains at the Field Museum.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul remained bound to the body after death, therefore the mummification process was crucial to ensure its permanence for eternity. Scientists from the Field Museum remind us that this process could take up to 70 days. It involved the removal of internal organs (except for the heart, which was considered the seat of the soul), drying the body with salt, and wrapping it in linen bandages. Prayers or protective amulets were often interwoven into these layers.

Special jars decorated with images of Horus' sons — the ancient god — were used for the internal organs. Thanks to small wax figurines of these deities discovered in mummy bundles, scientists were able to identify individual organs, which were sometimes placed back into the body of the deceased.

One of the best-preserved mummies in the museum's collection is Lady Chenet-aa, an aristocrat who lived about 3,000 years ago during the 22nd dynasty of Egypt. CT scans determined that she died at about 40 years old, and her teeth showed signs of intense wear due to the presence of sand in her diet.

An extraordinary discovery was solving the mystery of her coffin, which seemingly had no openings for placing the body inside. Thanks to the scans, it was revealed that the coffin was cut open at the back, then sealed and covered with a layer of plaster to give it an aesthetically pleasing, uniform appearance.

Analyses showed that individuals like Lady Chenet-aa or Harwa, the granary overseer, enjoyed high social status. The damage to their bodies was minimal, indicating that they did not engage in hard physical labour. Harwa, who died at around 40 years old, was also the subject of an unusual journey — he was the first mummy in the world to fly on an airplane and even made an appearance on Broadway before returning to Chicago.

Today, the approach to mummies has changed dramatically. In the 19th century, research often involved unwrapping and destroying bodies for analysis. Today, scientists focus on preserving them in an intact state and treating them with respect.

Although there have been discussions about potentially returning the mummies to Egypt, representatives from that country have expressed a desire for them to remain part of the exhibition in Chicago. The museum emphasizes that the priority is to present mummies as people rather than merely artifacts.

This is a really great way for us to look at who these people were — not just the stuff that they made and the stories that we have concocted about them, but the actual individuals that were living at this time — concludes Drake.