Mummy Brain

We are examining the mummy of Pen Ptah, a male from the twenty-fifth dynasty around 2700 years ago. Our objective is to gain a deeper understanding of Egyptian culture. One intriguing aspect of studying burials is that individuals do not bury themselves; societal norms dictate the burial process.

It's fascinating to observe how the practice of mummification, which has a long and intricate tradition, evolved over time. While canopic jars were commonly known for holding organs, they started to fade out during this period. Instead, the organs were wrapped and placed back inside the mummy's body.

Regarding this particular mummy, we haven't conducted x-radiography yet to confirm if the organs are wrapped inside the body or if canopic jars were used. However, we expect to find several packets within the body, similar to finding gizzard bits in a store-bought chicken—although, in this case, the intention is not to use them for cooking!

Mummification was primarily practiced by the elite, representing approximately the top 5% of society. The preservation process involved removing the brain, typically through an incision on the left-hand side of the abdomen, and extracting most of the internal organs. Interestingly, the brain removal often included the use of hooks, although you've had experience handling brains yourself."

Note: It's important to handle archaeological artifacts and human remains with respect and follow ethical guidelines established by relevant authorities. Yeah, brains are definitely not like intestines. It's not something you can simply squeeze out through a hole like silly putty. It's more likely that they used substances like turpentine to aid in the digestion of the brain, allowing it to be poured out, almost like a disgusting mucus.

Once the brain removal and the body being packed in natron for about 40 days were completed, the mummy would be assembled and wrapped. It would then rest in a tomb indefinitely, or at least that was the plan until certain disruptions occurred.

Tomb robbers, individuals repurposing tombs, or even archaeologists excavating could disturb the resting place of the mummy. Eventually, it found its way to the Field Museum through acquisition from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. Unfortunately, we lack information about its history prior to that.

The reason why we brought this sarcophagus, tomb, and coffin out of storage and into the lab today is to prepare it for a touring exhibit called 'Mummies: Images of the Afterlife.' We aim to highlight the ways in which mummies were mishandled before the advent of modern imaging technologies such as x-rays and CT scans. It's essentially a lesson in what not to do with mummies. Before the 1920s, invasive investigative procedures were the primary means of obtaining information.

As you can see, the outer wrappings have been completely removed to expose the inner layers. I suspect that previous researchers delved into the wrappings to discover more. Additionally, you may notice that the head has detached from the body. The challenge with unwrapping is that the final layer of bandages is often secured with resin, so attempting to remove it usually results in the head coming off at the neck.

Regarding the timing of the initial invasive attempts to investigate the mummy, I believe they occurred when mummies were being collected in the late 19th century, with a focus on creating exhibits for museums.

During our work today, we did come across some surprises. There is a painting on the bottom of the outer coffin depicting the Goddess of the sky, Nut. This was a traditional practice, as she is believed to guide individuals into the afterlife. She is often portrayed embracing people from behind, offering a comforting gesture as they transition. Additionally, we found beetles inside the coffin, and we will need to identify whether they are museum beetles or native Egyptian beetles.

Unexpectedly, we find ourselves back in JP's lab due to new developments in the mummy conservation project. While working on the mummy itself, we discovered that it differs from the majority of late Egyptian human mummies in certain aspects. The brain has not been removed. No scooping of the brain took place. In fact, the brain remains intact. Let me show you what we found. Ew! These are dried Egyptian brains. Would you like to hold one? Sure. Oh gosh, I'm holding... I'm holding old brains! These are the oldest brains I've ever held!

But along with the brains, we also discovered blowfly casings. So, there was something inside the cranium that was feeding on the brain. Can you believe it? And we believe this happened before or around the time the mummy was mummified. It seems that this individual underwent some decomposition before undergoing the mummification process.

It's quite fascinating because it goes against our expectations of how the deceased were traditionally treated. However, I suppose it may depend on the circumstances and proximity to mummification facilities at the time of death. It's not just flies eating the brain; there are dermestid beetles that feed on the flies.

Interestingly, these dermestid beetles are related to the same family of flesh-eating beetles that Anna uses in her lab upstairs. They are approximately 2500 years old, or perhaps even a little older. One can speculate about the circumstances that led to this situation. Maybe this individual died alone in a remote location, and it took some time for people to discover the body. It's quite intriguing, and we would love to unravel the full story, but I suppose we may never know.

Well, you never know! As we continue our work on this mummy, there's a possibility that it will reveal more secrets over time. Perhaps someone will come across a hieroglyphic scroll that unveils the mystery. Who knows, it might even turn out to be the genuine King Tut! But, of course, that's all conjecture. We're talking about a period slightly later than the King Tut era.

Regarding the brains, that's all we have. It doesn't appear to be the complete quantity of a dried brain. Some portions were likely consumed by insects. The dermestid beetles ate some brain, and the blowflies—my guess is they feasted on the brain. And then, the dermestids devoured the blowflies. It's truly a bug-eat-bug world inside the cranium of a mummy!