They discovered the first Egyptian mummy of an enclosure …

Polish scientists discovered the first pregnant egyptian mummy taking x-rays of his remains at the National Museum in Warsaw. Experts were not left with astonishment when they discovered the hidden details of the mummy, knowing that until then it was believed to belong to a priest who lived between the 1st century BC. C. and the 1st century d. vs.

“My husband Stanislaw, Egyptologist, and I, examining the X-ray images, noticed a small foot in the womb of the deceased woman!” Marzena Ozarek-Szilke, anthropologist and archaeologist at the University of Warsaw.

“We do not know why the fetus was not removed from the uterus of the deceased during his mummification”, added Wojciech Ejsmond, from the Polish Academy of Sciences, also involved in the project.

Ozarek-Szilke hypothesized that the intention was “to hide the pregnancy (…) or, perhaps, it had meaning related to beliefs about rebirth in the afterlife.”

Scientists believe the mummy may be even older and are trying to find out the possible cause of its death. Although it had not yet been opened, one of the x-rays showed that the woman had long, curly hair, which reached her shoulders.

This discovery was announced in the latest issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, a peer-reviewed journal.

“This is the first known case of an embalmed body of a pregnant woman (…) This opens up new possibilities for research into pregnancy in ancient times and practices related to motherhood.“says the article.

The mummy was brought to Poland in the 19th century and is part of the collection of antiques at the University of Warsaw. It has been kept at the National Museum since 1917 and is exhibited in the sarcophagus.