Crafting a corpse, “cheating” the gods: A composite mummy from ancient Egypt studied with computed tomography

Abstract

Abstract Composite mummies do not contain a corpse but are made from body parts or bones and other materials. They are genuine mummies made in ancient Egypt for spiritual reasons. This article describes the study of a composite human mummy using computed tomography (CT). This procedure was used to identify the bones and other materials used to make the mummy as well as the technique used for its assembly. Other findings of interest included bilateral parietal thinning and the presence of fluid levels inside many of the bones. Descriptions of composite mummies are rare in the literature, and this is the first time an adult human composite mummy has been studied using CT. These findings add to our knowledge of the composite mummies of ancient Egypt.