Researchers analyzed the first pregnant mummy and presume there are many more

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Researchers analyzed the first pregnant mummy and presume there are many more

A group of Polish researchers unveiled the mystery surrounding the only pregnant mummy found until today in the world. According to a study published in the Journal of Archeological Science, there would be far more undetected cases due to an error in radiological tests and analyzes.

The dilemma is heading for a solution. According Rusia Today (RT), after a detailed examination of the body and a series of tests, the scientists surmised that the chemicals used in ancient times for embalming dissolved the fetus’ bones.

Read also: Researchers CT scanned a 3,500-year-old mummy and showed what’s underneath the bandage

In that way, heThe remains of his skeleton became undetectable for X-rays. Therefore, it is believed that there may be many other pregnant female mummies found previously.

The case of the only pregnant mummy found so far in the world

The pregnant mummy was found in the Royal Tombs of Thebes, in Greece. She was between 20 and 30 years old when she died and was 28 weeks pregnant. It was unearthed in the early 19th century. Scientists dated it to the 1st century BC. That means the woman lived near the time of the famous queen Cleopatra, when Ancient Egypt and the city of Thebes were “prospering”

Initially it was believed that the remains belonged to a priest, but, in 2016, a series of tomographic examinations established that it was a woman and that she was pregnant.

What the main author of the study said about the only pregnant mummy detected so far in the world

The lead author of the study, Wojciech Ejsmond, told Insider that he always found it very strange that this mummy is the only one found with a baby in the womb.

“Women of childbearing age were probably not constantly pregnant, but once in several years they would be,” said the expert. She added: “So why weren’t the remains of other pregnant women who were embalmed found?”

Read also: They found a mummy of a young man tied up and with his hands covering his face

Ejsmond explained that “radiologists expected to find bones ”, but this case shows that it is not, in fact, what should be done. “Look for soft tissues in a peculiar way, “he added.

As the body decomposes, it begins to acidify naturally, as he specified. “When the acidic environment reached the dead fetus, the bones dissolved almost entirely. The minerals, the product of this chemical reaction, were dispersed and lost in the water that was still in the uterus ”, he indicated.

However, the mother’s bones did not dissolve because in the mummification process natron was used to dry out the body and this procedure kept the minerals in place. In this way the bones of the adult mummy were preserved over time.

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