A new study published in December 2023 has uncovered an ancient mummy containing the remains of an unborn fetus within the body of a young Egyptian girl.
During an archaeological excavation in 1908, researchers uncovered the wrapped remains of a fetus and the remnants of a placenta found between the legs of the girl. Field notes from that time reveal that the researchers concluded the fetus was related to the woman who was mummified— a girl aged between 14 to 17 years who lived in ancient Egypt during the late Dynastic period (approximately 712 to 332 BC) to the Coptic period (between 395 and 642 AD). The researchers made an incision in the mother’s abdomen and discovered the skull of the fetus lodged in the birth canal, indicating that the girl died from complications during childbirth.
However, it wasn’t until a century later that researchers discovered a second fetus, this time mysteriously located within the girl’s chest. Independent archaeologist Francine Margolis (USA), the lead author of the study, stated: “This is the first mummy of its kind to be discovered.” Despite numerous documented graves of women who died during childbirth in archaeological records, “there has never been a case found in Egypt,” Margolis shared with Live Science.
CT scan showing two fetuses inside the mother’s mummy.
Previously, in 2021, researchers announced the discovery of a pregnant Egyptian mummy, but other experts refuted this finding, concluding that the woman was not pregnant at the time of her death in a 2022 study.
Margolis first researched the mummy unearthed in 1908 while writing her master’s thesis on anthropology at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C. (USA) focusing on female pelvic morphology in 2019. She mentioned: “I performed a CT scan of the mummy to measure the pelvic bones. That’s when we discovered the second fetus.” The 3D images revealed the remains of a fetus, which had not been documented previously, situated within the girl’s chest.
Margolis and co-author David Hunt, an anthropologist at GWU, conducted X-rays of the mummy to gain clearer images of the fetal remains. Margolis stated: “When we saw the second fetus, we knew we had a unique discovery and a first for ancient Egyptian archaeology.”
The researchers re-examined the body of the mummy and the external fetus to confirm the cause of death of the young girl. They also reviewed and compiled notes and images taken during the 1908 excavation. Margolis and Hunt discovered that the girl died in labor after the head of the first fetus became lodged. According to the study, the head of the fetus during delivery would typically tilt down towards the chest to pass through the pelvis. Researchers believe that, in this case, the head of the fetus was not tilted properly to navigate the pelvic opening and became trapped.
Results from the 2019 analysis indicated that the mother was approximately 1.52 meters tall and weighed between 45 to 55 kg. The researchers noted in the new study that her small stature and young age may have contributed to the unsuccessful twin birth.
It remains unclear how the remains of the second fetus ended up in the girl’s chest. Researchers hypothesize that the diaphragm and other tissues may have decomposed during the mummification process, allowing the smaller body to shift upwards. According to the study, childbirth in ancient Egypt was not thoroughly documented, but existing records suggest that twins were considered undesirable in that era.
