Ancient Egypt's 'screaming' mummy woman may have died in agony

It is a startling image from ancient Egypt — a mummy discovered during a 1935 archaeological expedition at Deir el-Bahari near Luxor of a woman with her mouth wide open in what looks like an anguished shriek. Scientists now have an explanation for the "Screaming Woman" mummy after using CT scans to perform a "virtual dissection." It turns out she may have died in agony and experienced a rare form of muscular stiffening, called a cadaveric spasm, that occurs at the moment of death.

The examination indicated that the woman was about 48 years old when she died, had lived with mild arthritis of the spine and had lost some teeth, said Cairo University radiology professor Sahar Saleem, who led the study published on Friday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine. Cairo University radiologist Sahar Saleem is seen at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo with the “Screaming Woman” mummy, discovered in 1935 at Deir Elbahari near Luxor and dating to about 1500 BC during ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom period, in Cairo, Egypt, January 18, 2023 in this handout photograph released on August 2, 2024.| Photo Credit:Sahar Saleem Her body was well-preserved, being embalmed roughly 3,500 years ago during ancient Egypt's glittering New Kingdom period using costly imported ingredients such as juniper oil and frankincense resin, Ms.

Saleem added. The ancient Egyptians viewed preservation of the body after death as crucial to secure a worthy existence in the afterlife. It was customary during the mummific.