Mislav Čavka

Scenes from the Past: CT-guided Endoscopic Recovery of a Foreign Object from the Cranial Cavity of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy

The aim of this study was to test the value of computed tomography (CT)-guided endoscopy in the scientific study of mummified remains and the recovery of unidentified objects from ancient mummified remains. CT-guided endoscopy was performed on an Egyptian mummy from the Late Period to help retrieve an unidentified object from its skull. The combined use of CT and endoscopy facilitated the recovery of the object, minimizing further damage to the remains and to the object itself. The successful recovery of the brittle object allowed detailed analysis of the item to be performed in an attempt to determine the nature of its presence in the cranial cavity. It was confirmed that the object was a monocotyledon stem fragment. Relying on the existing literature on mummification and excerebration methods in ancient Egypt, we concluded that the stick was probably used for transnasal removal of the brain. The results of this study demonstrate the great potential of CT-guided endoscopy for minimally invasive recovery of small unidentified items from mummies that could yield important information about mummification procedures and the materials used to preserve bodies.

Prehistoric massacre revealed. Perimortem cranial trauma from Potočani, Croatia

ABSTRACT During archaeological rescue excavations carried out in 2007 at Potočani in continental Croatia, a pit containing numerous human skeletal remains (MNI = 41) was discovered. The remains were mostly articulated but also commingled and showed no clear pattern of organization. There were no associated artifacts, just a few pottery fragments probably belonging to the Copper Age Lasinja Culture (c. 4300 to 3950 BCE). Anthropological analyses suggest the presence of individuals of all ages and both sexes with many crania exhibiting various perimortem injuries. Three human bone samples from different layers were dated to around 4100 cal BCE by radiocarbon analysis. These radiocarbon dates combined with other aspects of archaeological context, indicate that the deposition was a single episode rather than a long-term accumulation. All this suggests a single violent encounter (massacre). Here we present results of the bioarchaeological analysis of four adult crania with clear signs of perimortem trauma. These include blunt force trauma as well as cuts and penetrating injuries indicating the use of different weapons/tools.

Current Egyptological Research in Croatia

Over the last years, much Egyptological research has been conducted in Croatia across various different fields. The Croato- Aegyptica Electronica (CAE) project has been in progress and, at several museums across the country, ancient Egyptian artefacts have been analysed and new exhibitions created. At the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, a radiological study of Egyptian mummies has been conducted and open lectures with a variety of keynote speakers, as well as a workshop on the language of Middle Egypt, have been held. Finally, university curriculums have changed, new publications (articles, catalogues and books) have appeared and international conferences have taken place. In this paper, the authors aim to provide an overview of the Egyptological activity which has occurred in Croatia over the past decade.

Comment on: Familial epilepsy in the pharaohs of ancient Egypt's eighteenth dynasty

Comment on the presented hypotheses about family epilepsy of Egyptian 18th Dynasty. The authors have presented arguments that refute them.