Chilling Face of Mummy That Died Screaming in Agony Seen for the First Time in 3,500 Years

Following extensive reconstruction efforts by experts, the haunting visage of a 3,500-year-old mummy , known as “The Screaming Woman,” has been brought to life.

Knewz.com has learned that the face of the mummy, which appears to have been frozen in a grotesque scream, has led scientists to believe that the individual died a painful death.

The mysterious mummy was unearthed nearly a century ago in 1935 in Deir Elbahari, Egypt , within the family tomb of Senmut, a renowned royal architect.

Researcher Sahar Saleem from Cairo University explained, “This mummified Screaming Woman is a true ‘time capsule’ of the way that she died, revealing some of the secrets of mummifications.”

It has been reported Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) on the remains revealed that the mummy was interred with juniper and frankincense, rare and expensive materials at the time, imported from the Eastern Mediterranean and Southern Arabia.

This, along with her burial in the tomb of a high-ranking royal architect, indicates her high socio-economic status.

Recently, scientists embarked on a mission to reconstruct her likeness and understand the painful death she suffered.

Brazilian graphics expert Cicero Moraes spearheaded the reconstruction project, utilizing advanced CT scan data and sophisticated imaging techniques.

According to Moraes, the methodologies included “tracing structures in profile like the nose and lateral face,” and involved “using advanced CT scan data from living people” to achieve authenticity. This comprehensive approach resulted in several reconstructions, each offering a unique glimpse into the mummy’s potential appearance in life and death.

He commented on the reconstruction project, saying, “I decided to do my part by putting a face to the discovery.”

The first version of the reconstruction shows the mummy with her eyes closed, rendered in greyscale to avoid assumptions about her skin or eye color.

A second, more subjective image portrays her as she might have looked in life, complete with the wig she was buried in. Notably, a wig was a symbol of wealth and status in ancient Egypt.

The third image is the one that captured her terrifying scream. The expression mirrors the moment of her death, providing a poignant reminder of her final agony.

While the cause of the mummy’s death remains unknown, Cairo University researcher Saleem suggested that her contorted expression resulted from “cadaveric spasm—a rare form of muscular stiffening caused by violent deaths under extreme stress.”

Medical examinations including CT scans, electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction analysis on the mysterious mummy revealed that the woman suffered from mild arthritis in the spine and had lost several teeth before her death.

Scientists estimate she was around 48 years old when she died, based on the condition of her pelvic bones.

In addition to the exact cause of her death, the name of the woman is also not known, although the tomb’s association with Senmut—a prominent figure during the reign of Pharaoh Hatshepsut—suggests she was likely a close family member.

Saleem noted, “Senmut was a very powerful statesman at the time of Hatshepsut and the teacher of her daughter, Princess Nefrure. The family burial contained Senmut’s mother, Hat Nufer, and his father, Ra Mose.”

“Although no name was recorded on the screaming mummy, she was likely a close family member of Senmut to share his parents’ eternal resting place,” he added .

The mummy’s remains are currently housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo , while her coffin and rings are part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York .