Scientists Reconstruct Face Of ‘world’s First Pregnant’ Egyptian Mummy, Died 2000 Yrs Ago

With an aim to re-humanize mummified individuals, Forensic scientists have reconstructed the face of the world’s first pregnant ancient Egyptian mummy more than 2,000 years after her death, using 2D and 3D techniques.

The Mummy known as ‘The Mystery Lady’ is believed to have died 28 weeks into her pregnancy between the ages around 20 and 30.

The embalmed woman was analyzed last year by a team of Polish researchers, who discovered evidence of a fetus inside her stomach.

Forensic experts have used her skull and other remains to produce two images showing what she may have looked like when alive in the first century BC.

Chantal Milani, an Italian forensic anthropologist and member of the Warsaw Mummy Project said, “Our bones and the skull, in particular, give a lot of information about the face of an individual.”

“Although it cannot be considered an exact portrait, the skull like many anatomical parts is unique and shows a set of shapes and proportions that will appear in the final face,” Chantal Milani further said.

The fetus was located in the lower part of the lesser pelvis: Warsaw Mummy Project

The Warsaw Mummy Project on Facebook wrote, “The face that covers the bone structure follows different anatomic rules, thus standard procedures can be applied to reconstruct it, for example, to establish the shape of the nose.”

As per reports, the fetus, which had been ‘pickled like a gherkin’, was located in the lower part of the lesser pelvis and partly in the lower part of the greater pelvis and was mummified together with its mother. 

Its head circumference was 9.8 inches, which the forensic team used to determine it was between the 26th and 30th week of life.

Forensic artist Hew Morrison said, “Facial reconstruction is mainly used in forensics to help determine the idenтιтy of a body when more common means of identification such as fingerprint identification or DNA analysis have drawn a blank.

Reconstructing an individual’s face from their skull is often considered a last resort in an attempt to establish who they were.”

Notably, the mummy was taken out of Egypt and into Warsaw in December 1826, around the time of some of the most important discoveries from the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. Her body had been carefully wrapped in fabrics and left with a rich set of amulets to see her into the afterlife.

Here are some pictures of the facial reconstruction of ‘The Mysterious Lady’