Ancient Mummy May Have Died in Agony, Say Researchers

Researchers have recently examined the mummy of an ancient Egyptian woman, known as the "Screaming Woman," whose mouth is wide open in what appears to be an anguished shriek. Discovered during a 1935 archaeological expedition in Deir el-Bahari near Luxor, the mummy has been housed in The Cairo Egyptian Museum. A study published in the journal *Frontiers in Medicine* utilized CT scans and other diagnostic tools to investigate potential causes of death and any pathological abnormalities. The woman, estimated to be around 48 years old at the time of her death, exhibited signs of dental loss and mild spinal arthritis. Interestingly, her body was embalmed approximately 3,500 years ago using high-quality materials, a common practice among ancient Egyptians who believed that preserving the body was essential for a favorable afterlife. Typically, mummification involved the removal of internal organs, but this procedure was not performed on the "Screaming Woman." Lead researcher Sahar Saleem, a radiology professor at Cairo University, noted that embalmers usually secured the jaws of the deceased to prevent postmortem jaw drop. However, this was not the case for the "Screaming Woman," leading to speculation about her expression. Saleem suggested that the open mouth could indicate she died in extreme pain, with facial muscles contracting during a phenomenon known as cadaveric spasm, although the exact cause of her expression remains uncertain.