Mummy of the priest Nesperennub
The mummy of the priest Nesperennub, discovered at Luxor in the
1890s, has recently been the subject of a ground-breaking
experiment. Non-invasive X-ray and Computerised Tomography (CT)
scanning techniques have made it possible to look inside the mummy
without disturbing the wrappings in any way. This has provided a
unique insight into the complex process of mummification and life
in ancient Egypt, and it has even been possible to reconstruct
Nesperennub's likely appearance.
Nesperennub was alive around 800 BC and died aged approximately
forty years. His skull shows a small unexplained hole above the
left eye, which might indicate an illness which could have proved
fatal. After death Nesperennub would have had his internal organs
removed, except for the heart, before being embalmed with resin.
Next the corpse was decorated with pieces of jewellery - the X-rays
show rings on both hands - as well as amulets. The body was
wrapped, then placed inside its painted cartonnage case, which was
in turn put inside a wooden coffin. The text on the cartonnage case
reveals that Nesperennub and his father worked as priests in the
great religious complex of Karnak.
The 3D images of Nesperennub show that, very unusually, he was
mummified with a shallow, irregular-shaped bowl on his head. This
does not belong to any known ritual aspect of embalming and was
probably part of the embalmers' working equipment. Perhaps during
the embalming process the bowl was placed on the head to catch
surplus resin. This may then have hardened unexpectedly quickly,
cementing the bowl firmly to the skull. Damage to the skin at the
back of the head may have been caused by attempts to remove it. The
embalmers may then have decided to carry on with the wrapping of
the body, hoping that their mistake would pass unnoticed - which it
did for nearly three thousand years.
