The mystery of the ancient Egyptian mummy from the Australian school is solved (photo)

Thanks to impressive scientific research and forensic reconstructions, an ancient Egyptian mummified head that had been stored for centuries in a high school library in Australia has finally revealed its secret.

This artifact, which had long been a mystery, had no information about its origin, except for an ancient note stating that it was a "genuine Egyptian mummy." Now, thanks to 3D modeling and facial reconstruction, researchers have been able not only to determine the age and gender of the mummy's owner but also to visualize what it looked like in life, Live Science reports.

"It shifts the focus from the human remains to the story of the person who wore them," said Jennifer Mann, a forensic sculptor who created the reconstruction. "This is very important because museums are increasingly reluctant to display the remains of ancient people."

Mann, who works at the Victorian Forensic Institute (VFIM) in Melbourne, has experience in creating facial reconstructions of historical figures. Her work includes the 2016 reconstruction of Meritamun, an ancient Egyptian woman whose mummified head is housed in the University of Melbourne's Museum of Anatomy and Pathology.

To reconstruct the Australian mummy, researchers used computed tomography (CT) to create an accurate 3D model of the skull. This model was then printed on a 3D printer, allowing Mann to create a realistic facial sculpture.

The scan analysis and research conducted by universities in Australia and Italy showed that the mummy belonged to a woman who died at the age between 50 and 60. Gold spots on the mummy indicate that she lived in the Greco-Roman period in Egypt (332 BC – 395 AD) when gold leaf was used in the mummification process.

The final sculpture depicts an elderly Egyptian woman with a Greek-style hairstyle popular at the time. This realistic image gives an idea of the life and appearance of a person who lived thousands of years ago.

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