More than two millennia ago, an unnamed woman was buried in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian government official, later dubbed the “Screaming Woman” due to her jaw locked in a twisted bellow. Discovered in 1935 by an archeological expedition in Egypt, she was well-preserved in a coffin believed to be over 2,500 years old. Despite originally being thought of as poorly embalmed, a recent study by Cairo University and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed that she was actually embalmed with expensive imported materials, contradicting previous assumptions. Her well-preserved organs and teeth allowed researchers to estimate that she was 48 years old and about 5 feet tall when she died, with evidence of spinal arthritis and early dentistry practices.
While the study did not uncover an obvious cause of death, scientists hypothesize that her agonizing facial expression could be due to cadaveric spasm, a phenomenon where muscles stay contracted after death. This could explain her jaw being open and the haunting expression on her face. Although this theory is controversial and a definitive answer for her expression may never be known, the Screaming Woman’s immaculately preserved body serves as a “time capsule” of how she was mummified and potentially died, showcasing the care and attention put into her preparation for the afterlife.
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