Roger Seiler

Shedding New Light on the 18th Dynasty Mummies of the Royal Architect Kha and His Spouse Merit

The mummies of Kha and his wife Merit were found intact in an undisturbed tomb in western Thebes near the ancient workers’ village of Deir el-Medina. Previous MDCT (this abbreviation needs spelling out) investigations showed that the bodies of Kha and Merit did not undergo classical royal 18th Dynasty artificial mummification, which included removal of the internal organs. It was, therefore, concluded that the retention of the viscera in the body, combined with an absence of canopic jars in the burial chamber, meant the couple underwent a short and shoddy funerary procedure, despite their relative wealth at death. Nevertheless, all internal organs - brain, ocular bulbs/ocular nerves, thoracic and abdominal organs - showed a very good state of preservation, which contradicts the previous interpretation above. In order to better understand the type of mummification used to embalm these bodies, both wrapped mummies were reinvestigated using new generation X-ray imaging and chemical microanalyses Here we provide evidence that both individuals underwent a relatively high quality of mummification, fundamentally contradicting previous understanding. Elucidated “recipes”, whose components had anti-bacterial and anti-insecticidal properties, were used to treat their bodies. The time and effort undoubtedly employed to embalm both Kha and Merit and the use of imported costly resins, notably Pistacia, do not support the previously held view that the two individuals were poorly mummified. Despite a lack of evisceration, the approach clearly allowed their in situ preservation as well as affording a fairly successful mummification.

Multidisciplinary identification of the controversial freedom fighter Jörg Jenatsch, assassinated 1639 in Chur, Switzerland

Jörg Jenatsch, a leading freedom fighter during the Thirty Year’s War in Graubünden, Switzerland, was assassinated on carnival 1639. Jenatsch’s controversial biography and the unclear circumstances of his death inspired the formation of various legends, novels and films. In 1959, a skeleton discovered in the cathedral of Chur with remains of wealthy baroque clothing was tentatively attributed to Jenatsch. Here, we reassess the skeleton based on a new exhumation. Our multidisciplinary analysis and the head injuries are consistent with reports of the eyewitnesses of the crime, demonstrating that Jenatsch was killed from behind with a semi-sharp implement, supposedly an axe, as well as by a blow with a broad-surfaced object. Moreover, our facial reconstruction closely matches an oil portrait of Jenatsch, and the HIrisPlex system applied to DNA-extracts from the femoral bone reveals brown eye and dark brown hair colour, which coincides well with the portrait, too. Finally, isotope analysis of the femoral bone and a molar support Jenatsch’s high social status, luxury diet and a high mobility in the last decade of his life. This multidisciplinary approach thus reinforces personal identification and provides additional insight into the life of this important historic person beyond written resources.

“The Opening of the Mouth”—A New Perspective for an Ancient Egyptian Mummification Procedure

“The opening of the mouth ritual” (OMR) is a central and well‐documented component of the Ancient Egyptian mortuary ceremony. In the scientific literature, we find various references that indicate that parts of this ritual correspond to physical opening of the deceaseds mouth during its mummification. We denote this physical treatment of the dead the “opening of the mouth procedure,” to underline the distinction against the “opening of the mouth ritual,” which is performed ceremonially later on the mummy or even the statue. The mummifying procedure itself however is known only from rare pictorial representations and the later summary descriptions of Greek authors. Nevertheless, recently some authors tried, on the basis of paleopathological findings, to demonstrate that the mouth of the deceased had to be opened physically before mummifying. Careful examination of the mummies of the Swiss Mummy Project and other cases reported in the literature showed frequent dental pathologies including fractured and totally luxated teeth, which were up to now not sufficiently taken into consideration. The detailed report of the preliminary procedures of mummifying the Apis bull—as appropriate detailed descriptions for humans are missing—gives us insight into the treatment of the oral cavity. Our results, when combined with the available historical literature, indicate that the OMR can be regarded as a ritualized counterpart of a real “opening of mouth procedure” during mummification. Anat Rec, 298:1208–1216, 2015.

Queen Nefertari, the Royal Spouse of Pharaoh Ramses II: A Multidisciplinary Investigation of the Mummified Remains Found in Her Tomb (QV66)

Queen Nefertari, the favourite Royal Consort of Pharaoh Ramses II (Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty c. 1250 BC) is famous for her beautifully decorated tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Her burial was plundered in ancient times yet still many objects were found broken in the debris when the tomb was excavated. Amongst the found objects was a pair of mummified legs. They came to the Egyptian Museum in Turin and are henceforth regarded as the remains of this famous Queen, although they were never scientifically investigated. The following multidisciplinary investigation is the first ever performed on those remains. The results (radiocarbon dating, anthropology, paleopathology, genetics, chemistry and Egyptology) all strongly speak in favour of an identification of the remains as Nefertari’s, although different explanations—albeit less likely—are considered and discussed. The legs probably belong to a lady, a fully adult individual, of about 40 years of age. The materials used for embalming are consistent with Ramesside mummification traditions and indeed all objects within the tomb robustly support the burial as of Queen Nefertari.

First-time complete visualization of a preserved meningeal artery in the mummy of Nakht-ta-Netjeret (ca. 950 BC)

The preservation of the meningeal artery in ancient mummified bodies, particularly in anthropogenic Egyptian mummies, is a highly controversial topic in neuroscience and anthropological research. A recent (2015) debate between Wade and Isidro, based on the interpretation of the meningeal grooves and cast in a skull from the necropolis of Kom al-Ahmar Sharuna (Egypt), highlighted both the necessity of having clear radiological descriptions of this anatomical structure and of assessing large collections of mummified crania. Here, we present for the first time an instance of extremely well-preserved middle meningeal artery in the mummy of the ancient Egyptian dignitary Nakht-ta-Netjeret (ca. 950 BC), still inside the meninx, using paleo-radiological techniques. We finally link this find with experimental data from the neurological literature on the methodology of excerebration implemented by ancient Egyptian embalmers.

Application of portable digital radiography for dental investigations of ancient Egyptian mummies during archaeological excavations: Evaluation and discussion of the advantages and limitations of different approaches and projections

Purpose In the age of X-ray computed tomography (CT) and digital volume tomography (DVT), with their outstanding post-processing capabilities, indications for planar radiography for the study of the dentition of ancient Egyptian mummies may easily be overlooked. In this article, the advantages and limitations of different approaches and projections are discussed for planar oral and maxillofacial radiography using portable digital X-ray equipment during archaeological excavations. Furthermore, recommendations are provided regarding projections and sample positioning in this context. Materials and Methods A total of 55 specimens, including 19 skeletonized mandibles, 14 skeletonized skulls, 18 separate mummified heads, and 4 partially preserved mummies were imaged using portable digital X-ray equipment in the course of archaeological excavations led by the University of Basel in the Valley of the Kings between 2009 and 2012. Images were evaluated by 2 authors with regard to the visibility of diagnostically relevant dental structures using a 4-point grading system (Likert scale). Results Overall, the visibility of diagnostically relevant dental structures was rated highest by both authors on X-ray images acquired using a dental detector. The tube-shift technique in the lateral projections of mandibular dentition achieved the second-best rating, and lateral projections achieved the third-best rating. Conclusion Conventional planar digital X-ray imaging, due to its ubiquity, remains an excellent method–and often the only practicable one–for examining the skulls and teeth of ancient Egyptian mummies under field conditions. Radiographic images of excellent diagnostic quality can be obtained, if an appropriate methodology regarding the selected projections and sample placement is followed.

Dental investigation of mummies from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (circa 18th – 19th century CE)

Within the framework of the Sicily Mummy Project, the orofacial complex of a significant sample of individuals (n=111) from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy, was inspected. The heads and dentitions of the mummies were documented and the recorded findings described: the state of preservation of skeletal and soft tissues; dental pathologies such as carious lesions and alveolar bone loss; enamel hypoplasia; and ante- and post-mortem tooth loss. Despite limitations in data collection, the oral health of these mummies was assessed and the frequencies of pathologies were compared to those of similar populations. From their position within the corridors of the Catacombs, sex and social status of the mummies were also inferred, allowing the dental pathologies to be specified in the social and historical context. Most interestingly, the rate of oral health problems did not differ between the groups of the members of the Capuchin Order and the laymen of the city of Palermo, despite their different lifestyles.

Erratum to: Radiological findings in an ancient Iranian salt mummy (Chehrābād ca. 410–350 BC)

“Radiological findings in an ancient Iranian salt mummy” published in Skeletal Radiology June 2015 Vol 44 Issue 6 p 811–821 included a significant amount of material that had previously been published in Metalla, the Journal of the German Mining Museum, Nr.21/2014, 103–112. We take duplicate publication very seriously. This duplication was brought to our attention by one of the authors and we are convinced that it was an honest error. Since Metalla is not widely indexed, and since there is no overlap of the readership, we have obtained agreement from the editor of Metalla to permit publication of this erratum rather than retracting the article.

A unique case of perforated bilateral parietal bone thinning in a Third Intermediate Period Egyptian mummy (Geneva Museum D 0242)

Since the early nineteenth century, the Museum of Art and History in Geneva has held the mummy of the Lady Tjes-Mut-peret with her coffin (Third Intermediate Period). The mummy was unwrapped in 1824 and the detailed description of this operation mentions several pathological findings. A CT scan was performed in the University Hospital in Geneva in 2011 allowing for the findings of 1824 to be reinterpreted and complemented by the diagnosis of a bilateral parietal bone thinning of the skull.