Scientists have revealed that a mummy found with a mysterious screaming expression was an Egyptian princess who died suddenly from a heart attack 3,000 years ago.
The mummy, which had been dubbed by researchers as 'the screaming woman', was found in Luxor, Egypt, back in 1881, but up until now her death has been something of a mystery.
Text on the linen wraps of the mummy, written in the ancient hieratic Egyptian language, said: "The royal daughter, the royal sister of Meret Amon."
Now researchers have been able to use CT scans to find out more about how she may have passed away, concluding that the princess died of a huge heart attack - supposedly stuck in an open-mouthed pose due to rigor mortis.
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In the study - which was carried out by Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and Sahar Saleem, who is professor of radiology at Cairo University - the team found that severe atherosclerosis [a degenerative disease] of the coronary arteries had led to the princess' sudden heart attack death.
Hawass told Ahram Online that the ancient Egyptians' thorough embalming process helped preserve the princess' posture as she died.
"We assume that the dead body of 'the screaming woman' might not have been discovered until hours later, enough to develop rigor mortis," Hawass said.
"We assume that the embalmers likely mummified the contracted body of the 'screaming woman' before it decomposed or relaxed.
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"The embalmers were thus unable to secure the mouth closed or put the contracted body in the state of lying down, as was usual with the other mummies, thus preserving her facial expression and posture at the time of death."
As well as indicating that the princess had died during her sixth decade, the results of the CT scan showed she suffered from atherosclerosis of the right and left coronary arteries, neck arteries, abdominal aorta and iliac arteries, and of the arteries of the lower extremities.
Hawass said the mystery began in 1881, when the Royal Cachette of Deir El-Bahari was discovered in Luxor.
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The site is where priests of the 21st and 22nd dynasties used to place royal members from previous dynasties, in order to hide them from grave robbers.
The Royal Chachette also contained the 'mummy of the screaming man', with recent studies showing it was Pentawere, the son of King Ramses III.
He had been forced to kill himself by hanging as a punishment for his involvement in the murder of his father.
As a way of being further penalised, his body was not embalmed and instead wrapped in sheep skin, indicating he was considered 'unclean'.
Featured Image Credit: Cairo UniversityTopics: World News, News