Nothing was known about this mummy when it was loaned to us by the Carlos Museum in Atlanta. Facts such as name, age, gender, social status, place of origin were not available. The Museum of Science wanted to take on the challenge of solving some of the mysteries surrounding this mummy and sharing its discoveries.

Our mummy's anonymity is not intentional. In death, one's name as well as one's body, needed to be preserved. A person's tomb and coffin would give ample information about who this person was; their name would be inscribed in several places. However, when this mummy was acquired by a Theology Professor from Atlanta in the 1920s, it came to the United States with no coffin, and no information. All we will ever know about this mummy is what it can reveal to us today.

With the help of Doctors and Technicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, and of a Conservator of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, the MoS has already learned a lot about this young man who was in his late 20s when he died, 2500 years ago. Likely a professional of the time: Scribe or Priest, his strong bone structure and stature suggest he was healthy for most of his life.

Read more about what we learned
See photos from the mummy's trip to the hospital

The mummy is not longer on display at the Museum of Science. This site is being retained for the information and content on it.

Although we know that people often had their brains removed as part of the ancient Egyptian mummification process, in later periods, the brain was sometimes left it in place. The brain simply dried and shrank with the rest of the body during dessication.

Our mummy has its brain, seen in the image above. If it had been removed, there would be a break in the thin bone between the nose and the skull (here marked by the red arrow.)

More facts about our mummy