The “Screaming Woman” mummy that was found during the 1935 archaeological expedition to Deir el-Bahari near Luxor, Egypt and has remained a mystery until recent times. By using CT scans to perform a “virtual dissection,” researchers have determined that she may have experienced postmortem muscular stiffening known as cadaveric spasm leading to preservation of agonizing facial expression.
This woman had mild arthritis of the spine and loss of some teeth. The body was well-preserved after being embalmed in around 3500 BCE during the New Kingdom period of ancient Egypt using expensive imported substances like juniper oil and frankincense resin. The only organs left inside her were those located at the abdominal area as well as others for instance lungs, liver etc.
According to Saleem (2016), embalmers in ancient Egypt placed importance on preserving the beauty of corpses for life after death. This is why they ensured that the dead man’s mouth was closed by fixing his jaw with a string so that it could not fall open naturally upon death.
This conclusion ruled out shoddy mummification or neglect in closing mouths because she has high quality funerary garments such as two rings made from gold and silver together with long hair wig which is date palm fiber made. An alternative explanation put forward by researchers was that her mouth had been kept open due to intense facial contractions resulting from cadaveric spasms since all other possibilities including dying while shouting could not explain it.
The body of the Screaming Woman was discovered inside a wooden coffin within a burial chamber below Senmut’s family tomb. Although we do not know who she was, given her jewelry, we can assume she held a high position in society and may have been one of Senmut’s close relatives.
Also revealed by this study are details about her wig which comprised spiral braids treated with minerals for hardening them thus attaining a youthful black color. Henna and juniper oil had been used to dye her natural hair. The cause of this woman’s death could not be ascertained but the information obtained from this study offered important insights into the life and death of this enigmatic ancient Egyptian mummy.
