It’s not uncommon to find an ancient Egyptian mummy head while spring cleaning the attic. But in Kent, England, that was exactly what was found while cleaning a house by the deceased owner’s brother.
The head is thought to have been brought from Egypt as a souvenir, as was often the case in the Victorian era, and then handed down through the generations. However, little is known about exactly how this head fell into the hands of its last owner, and almost nothing was known about the head. Later, the head was donated to the Canterbury Museums and Galleries collection. Now this head has been studied by scientists to uncover and reconstruct its hidden history.
Canterbury Christ Church University found that this individual was an adult woman, on X-rays. There were also tubes made of an unknown material in the left nostril and spinal canal, although the source is unknown.
To learn more, a team led by James Elliot, Senior Radiographer and Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography at Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and Canterbury Christ Church University, performed a computed tomography (CT) scan at Maidstone Hospital. Although it was done in the Nuclear Medicine Department, it was stated that the mummified head was scanned outside of normal working hours and therefore did not affect the health service.
The scan data will be used to create a three-dimensional replica of the head and possible facial reconstruction, Elliot said. These scans found that the brain had been removed and the teeth had worn down from a grueling diet. But the language was extraordinarily preserved.
The head is currently guarded by Dana Goodburn-Brown, a professional archaeological conservator from Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Kent, and the University of Oxford, who is coordinating research efforts. The findings are scheduled to be displayed to the public at the Beaney Museum in Canterbury.
“In keeping with its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) promotion, the Beaney Museum will use the application of modern technology with history to enhance learning, expand appeal, and increase school visits and social outreach,” says Goodburn-Brown.
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