Mystery of mummy kept in museum for 100 years solved

Archaeologists say that an adolescent mummy specimen that has been in the Smithsonian Museum for over a century likely died while giving birth to twins.

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Mystery of mummy kept in museum for 100 years solved

According to anthropologist Francine Margolis from George Washington University in the US, the remains of the mummy, which was excavated in 1908, belong to an adolescent aged 14 to 17 who may have died during childbirth.

Researchers say that when the adolescent in question was mummified 2,000 years ago, a fetus associated with her was wrapped and placed between her legs.

MYSTERY SOLVED WITH X-RAY SCAN

According to reports by Independent Türkçe, field notes taken in 1908 confirmed that the young girl died due to complications during childbirth.

However, when scientists performed computed tomography (CT) X-ray scans of the mummy to take pelvic measurements and determine the cause of death, they found objects in the adolescent's chest cavity that did not belong to the fetus already wrapped between her legs.

X-ray scans of the remains surprisingly revealed a second fetus inside the mummy.

In a study published last month in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, scientists wrote, "While examining the CT images, elements thought to be a fetus were detected in the mother."

The researchers concluded:

The mother was pregnant with twins.

On the other hand, it is unclear whether the adolescent girl or anyone else knew she was pregnant with twins at the time of her death.

Scientists say the strange position of the second fetus near the woman's chest cavity also remains a mystery. Researchers suspect that the second fetus may have been moved to this part of the young girl's body during the embalming process performed during mummification.

The scientists wrote:

It is possible that the baby, whose presence was unknown, was mummified along with other internal organs. During the mummification process, the diaphragm and connective tissues in that area may have dissolved, causing the unborn baby to move toward the chest cavity.

Researchers also suspect that the transport of the mummy from Egypt to the US may have caused the baby to shift inside.

Scientists do not have any other information about the adolescent's health other than that she likely died during childbirth. They state that it is more difficult to obtain information about her health because her head is missing.

The researchers added, "The results show that this mother was pregnant with twins and was in the middle of the birthing process at the time of her death."

News Source: 12punto