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Mummies often steal the spotlight, yet many remarkable stories remain hidden. These overlooked ancient figures and their lesser-known narratives are equally captivating. Explore why mummies with headlice excite researchers, uncover the story of the fortunate Pompeii victim, and delve into the strange actions of those who interact with mummies, from grave robbers to clumsy curators.
Below are ten rarely shared stories about mummies.
10. The Enigma of the Vacant Coffin
In 1860, an Egyptian coffin was delivered to Sydney’s Nicholson Museum. Tragically, it was mislabeled as “empty,” containing only insignificant debris. This error left the artifact neglected for nearly 160 years. It wasn’t until 2017 that the museum staff examined the 2,500-year-old coffin.
Unexpectedly, a CT scan revealed the sarcophagus housed a mummy. The skeleton was disorganized, tangled among bandages, beads, and various artifacts. Hieroglyphs indicated the remains belonged to a noblewoman named Mer-Neith-it-es. However, since the coffin was acquired from an antiquities market in the 1850s—a period when sarcophagi were often filled with random human remains—it’s uncertain if these bones truly belong to her.
9. The Ailing Murder Victim
Ancient South America had its advantages. Skilled architects built sophisticated cities that still amaze us with their precision and beauty. However, violence was a common aspect of life. A 2022 study revealed that even the sick were not spared when someone was intent on murder.
A CT scan of a pre-Columbian mummy, dating between 996 and 1147, uncovered a gruesome murder. The young man, suffering from severe tuberculosis, was struck violently on the head and stabbed in the back, despite his evident illness.
The victim faced more than just illness. Researchers suggest he was ambushed by two assailants on that tragic day.
8. The Unexpected Value of Mummy Headlice
In 2021, headlice gained scientific attention. Researchers found that the adhesive used by female lice to attach eggs to hair can preserve human skin cells. This ancient glue, discovered on mummies from Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador, was 1,500 to 2,000 years old.
The lice glue contained scalp cells from the hosts, which were exceptionally well-preserved and provided more DNA than traditional extraction methods. The DNA revealed the mummies’ genders and migration patterns, while the glue’s position on the hair indicated some died in freezing conditions.
Thanks to the preserved nits, researchers learned that San Juan’s earliest settlers originated from the North Amazonian plains. Additionally, the cells contained the oldest known instance of Merkel cell Polyomavirus, a virus linked to skin cancer.
7. The Attic’s Mummified Head
After an unnamed man’s death, his brother inherited a house in Kent, England. While cleaning the property, the brother stumbled upon a chilling discovery: a mummified head in the attic. The body was missing and never found, but scientists confirmed the head belonged to an ancient Egyptian mummy.
The mystery deepened: who was missing a head, and how did an Egyptian artifact end up in a Kent attic? A CT scan revealed the head belonged to an adult woman with worn teeth who died nearly 2,000 years ago.
Strangely, tubes made of unknown materials were found in her left nostril and spinal canal. It’s unclear whether these tubes are ancient or modern. Even more puzzling, the homeowner claimed to have received the head from someone named “Dr. Coates,” but no further details are known.
6. The Sewage-Drifting Mummies
Tomb robbing remains a persistent issue in Egypt. Authorities enforce strict laws and penalties to protect graves, but these measures can sometimes backfire. In 2015, police discovered two mummies near a village in Minya under suspicious circumstances. The coffins were found floating in a sewage canal, presenting a grim sight.
No one claimed responsibility for the mummies, but it’s likely tomb raiders looted a grave, took smaller valuables, and attempted to flee with the coffins. Finding them too unwieldy, they dumped the bodies in the canal.
After being rescued, the mummies were severely damaged by water, but they weren’t discarded again. Instead, they were transported to a museum for restoration and further study.
5. The Fortunate Pompeii Resident
Marcus Secundio was fortunate in both life and death. As a Pompeii resident, he avoided the catastrophic eruption by dying a few years prior. Archaeologists uncovered his tomb and remarkably preserved mummy outside the city, revealing a rags-to-riches story.
Inscriptions showed Marcus was once a slave who gained freedom, rose to wealth, and became a priest. His bilingual abilities in Latin and Greek provided the first evidence of Greek sermons in Pompeii. He married and died in his 60s.
However, mysteries linger. Cremation was the norm during his time, so why was Marcus buried differently? Researchers are also puzzled by his exceptional mummification, which has kept his body remarkably intact for nearly 2,000 years.
4. The Mummy with Four Feet
In 2000, Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture decided to restore its Egyptian mummy, nicknamed “Nellie,” dating back to 305–34 BC. To assess the restoration needs, a CT scan was conducted.
Instead of bones and tissues, the scan revealed a chaotic mix of missing bones, chicken wire, sponge, and artificial body parts. These additions stemmed from a botched 1960s attempt to reshape the mummy.
Earlier researchers had removed most of Nellie’s bones and used wire and sponge to reshape her upper body, causing significant damage. Strangely, her feet were replaced with one foot from another mummy and a plaster replica of that foot, though her original feet were later found in the museum.
3. An Embalmer’s Error
We’ve all heard terrifying tales of surgical tools left inside patients. This isn’t a modern issue—in 2008, a scan revealed a forgotten tool in the skull of a 2,400-year-old Egyptian woman.
A Croatian museum housing her remains knew little about her, except that she died in her 40s. A 2008 CT scan, intended to uncover details about her life, revealed an embalming error. Researchers were thrilled, as identifying embalming tools is rare. The 3-inch (8 cm) wooden tube found in her skull was a clear indicator of a brain removal tool.
The embalmers likely knew about the mishap. The tool may have broken during the procedure, and retrieving it was deemed too troublesome. They left it behind, assuming no one would ever discover it.
2. The Preserved Infant
In 2021, archaeologists made a groundbreaking discovery: a pregnant mummy. Known as the “Mysterious Lady,” she died around 2,000 years ago in Egypt while six to seven months pregnant.
Despite the tragic situation, scientists were amazed. While a pregnant mummy is rare, the real surprise was the preservation method. Researchers likened it to pickling an egg, as the fetus was preserved in an acidic environment.
When an egg is placed in an acidic solution, the shell dissolves, but the contents remain intact. Similarly, the fetus was preserved due to the acidic environment created by the mother’s blood pH changes and the embalmers’ use of natron, a salt mixture. This raised a question: why were the fetus and womb left untouched when mummification typically required removing all organs?
1. Ötzi’s Living Relatives
Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old mummy found in the Italian Alps in 1991, is a global sensation. Over the years, scientists have uncovered details about his health, tattoos, last meal, clothing, and fatal injuries, making him one of the most studied mummies in history.
In 2013, researchers sought Ötzi’s living descendants by analyzing DNA from Austrian blood donors. These donors hadn’t volunteered to check for a connection to the famous mummy—their DNA was simply available for study.
The blood bank identified 19 men sharing ancestry with Ötzi. More living relatives could potentially exist in areas close to the Swiss and Italian Alps.
