Researchers Uncover How Ancient Egyptians Placed Noblewoman’s Mummy into a Seamless Coffin
The Field Museum in Chicago is home to over a dozen ancient Egyptian mummies, but one particular mummy has puzzled researchers for years. Now, the mystery surrounding the burial of the mummy known as Lady Chenet-aa appears to have been unraveled thanks to computed tomography (CT) scans, as reported by Popular Science on October 29.
Mummy of Lady Chenet-aa. (Photo: Field Museum).
Lady Chenet-aa lived approximately 3,000 years ago during the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period. Shortly after her death, embalmers prepared to send her to the afterlife by creating a cartonnage box, a material resembling papier-mâché, to contain her body. However, in Chenet-aa’s case, there were no signs of clear seams, leading Egyptologists to wonder how exactly the embalmers placed her inside the box.
“The cartonnage coffin appears to be a single unit and smooth without any external seams (unlike the outer coffin made of wood). If you look at the shape of the cartonnage box, the opening at the foot is too narrow for the shoulders of the mummy to fit through,” stated HP Brown, a conservation expert at the Field Museum.
Computed tomography (CT) creates 3D images of objects by stacking thousands of X-ray scans digitally. Over four days, researchers transported 26 mummies (including Chenet-aa) to a mobile machine parked outside the Field Museum. The resulting images helped them hypothesize how those involved in the burial placed Chenet-aa inside the seemingly seamless box.
According to Brown, “the ancient Egyptians made a slit in the back of the cartonnage box and softened the material with moisture to make it pliable. After standing the mummy upright and tying it to a pole with thin rope, they lowered the coffin over Chenet-aa’s head before sealing the slit with braided cord. Once the cartonnage coffin became secure, they poured plaster over it,” Brown explained. The outer layer of paint on the cartonnage was decorated and polished while the mummy remained in an upright position. Once completed, Chenet-aa was ready for burial.
CT scans provided new details about Chenet-aa’s health in her final days. According to the research team, the noblewoman died in her late 30s or early 40s, although they have not yet determined the cause of her death. She was missing several teeth at the time of her death, while the remaining teeth showed signs of wear. Experts believe this may be attributed to a diet that included coarse salt detrimental to dental enamel.
In the coming year, researchers hope to continue analyzing thousands of CT images to learn more about life in ancient Egypt.
