The permanent exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum, Semmelweis Museum of Medical History of Budapest, Hungary, displays some human remains believed to originate from ancient Egypt. Within the ...framework of the Nephthys Project, three objects consisting of two heads and one foot were studied via paleoimaging and archaeometric techniques in order to provide new anthropological and paleopathological data. It is argued here that even partial or fragmentary items are worthy of investigation as they can reveal new information about their owners, as well as their supposed authenticity.
Sommersdorf Castle (Bavaria, Germany) is a medieval castle complex which has been inhabited by the aristocratic family von Crailsheim. The deceased were entombed in a crypt located in the parapets ...underneath the castle's church, resulting in mummification of the bodies. Based on the family chronicle and oral history, identities have been ascribed to the mummies. The aim of the study is therefore to test the accuracy of the historical records in comparison to archaeological, anthropological and genetic data. Today, the crypt houses eleven wooden coffins from the 17th to 19th century AD. In ten of these, mummified and scattered human remains were found. Archive records were studied in order to identify names, ancestry, titles, occupation, date of birth and death, and place of interment of the individuals. The coffins were visually inspected and dated by typo-chronology, and the mummified and scattered skeletal remains were subjected to a physical anthropological examination. In total, the crypt contains the remains of a minimum number of nine individuals, among them three adult males, five adult females and one infant. A detailed scientific examination, including prior conservation, ancient DNA analyses, and computed tomography (CT), was performed on five mummies. By means of the CT data age at death, sex, body height, pathologies, and anatomical variants were investigated. CT analysis further showed that the bodies were naturally mummified. Mitochondrial DNA analyses revealed that the tested individuals are not maternally related. In addition, health, living conditions and circumstances of death of the entombed individuals could be highlighted. Being confronted with the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of each methodological approach, probable identification was achieved in two cases.
•The checklist allowed a standardised assessment of the soft tissue preservation.•The scoring system facilitated a comparison between both mummification groups.•Soft tissue preservation was better in ...anthropogenic than in spontaneous mummies.•Soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system showed better scores than organs.•Intraarterial filling achieved the highest preservation of organs and organ systems.
In this study we applied the recently developed “Checklist and Scoring System for the Assessment of Soft Tissue Preservation in Human Mummies” to catacomb mummies from Palermo, Sicily.
Data from twenty-three full-body computed tomography (CT) examinations were available. These consisted of seventeen adults and six children dating from the late 18th to the late 19th centuries AD. Seventeen of these mummies were anthropogenically mummified, and six spontaneously.
Based on the checklist and scoring system, soft tissue preservation varied between both mummification groups, among mummies with the same type of mummification, and within individual mummies at different anatomical locations.
Checkpoints of the main category “A. Soft Tissues of Head and Musculoskeletal System” were clearly more frequent than checkpoints of the main category “B. Organs and Organ Systems”. Among the anthropogenic mummies, intra-arterial filling achieved the highest preservation status of organs and organ systems. Despite the small sample size, the statistical evaluation showed significant differences between mummification types, with the highest soft tissue preservation found in anthropogenic mummies.
Application of the “Checklist” allowed a standardized assessment and documentation of the soft tissue preservation of these mummies. The “Scoring System” facilitated a comparison among mummification groups and mummies by means of numeric values.
Whole-body multidetector computed tomography (CT) was performed on the mummified corpse of two-year-old Rosalia Lombardo, an anthropogenic mummy displayed in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, ...Sicily, Italy. Rosalia Lombardo reportedly died of bronchopneumonia in 1920 and was preserved by the embalmer and taxidermist Alfredo Salafia with a formaldehyde-based fluid. Rosalia Lombardo's body is still exhibited in the Capuchin Catacombs inside the original glass-topped coffin in which she was placed. Only her head is visible: the rest of her body is covered by a sheet.
CT images of Rosalia's body within her coffin were of reduced quality because of distinct metal artifacts caused by the coffin itself. Nevertheless, a detailed radiological analysis was possible for most of the body. Analysis of the data from the CT examination revealed indicators for the historically-reported endovasal and intracavity treatment. Rosalia's entire body was preserved in a remarkable state. The exceptional preservation of her internal organs made it possible to consider a radiological diagnosis of pneumonia.
For this study, CT was determined to be the ultimate method for investigation, since Rosalia's body had to be kept untouched in her sealed coffin for conservation purposes. The CT examination offered new insights into the current preservation status of the body, and the superior contrast of CT allowed detailed assessment of different tissues. Post-processing methods provided reconstructions on any desired plane, as well as three-dimensional reconstruction, for the best possible visualization and interpretation of the body.
During the past 10 years palaeomicrobiology, a new scientific discipline, has developed. The study of ancient pathogens by direct detection of their DNA has answered several historical questions and ...shown changes to pathogens over time. However, ancient DNA (aDNA) continues to be controversial and great care is needed to provide valid data. Here we review the most successful application of the technology, which is the study of tuberculosis. This has provided direct support for the current theory of Mycobacterium tuberculosis evolution, and suggests areas of investigation for the interaction of M tuberculosis with its host.
Abstract Case reports from Johan Czermak, Marc Ruffer, and others a century or more ago demonstrated ancient Egyptians had atherosclerosis three millennia ago. The Horus study team extended their ...findings, demonstrating that atherosclerosis was prevalent among 76 ancient Egyptian mummies and among 61 mummies from each of the ancient cultures of Peru, the American Southwest, and the Aleutian Islands. These findings challenge the assumption that atherosclerosis is a modern disease caused by present day risk factors. An extensive autopsy of an ancient Egyptian teenage male weaver named Nakht found that he was infected with four parasites: Schistosoma haematobium , Taenia species, Trichinella spiralis , and Plasmodium falciparum . Modern day patients with chronic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and human immunodeficiency virus experience premature atherosclerosis. Could the burden of chronic inflammatory disease have been a risk factor for atherosclerosis in these ancient cultures? The prevalence of atherosclerosis in four diverse ancient cultures is consistent with atherosclerosis being fundamental to aging. The impact of risk factors in modern times, and potentially in ancient times, suggests a strong gene-environmental interplay: human genes provide a vulnerability to atherosclerosis, the environment determines when and if atherosclerosis becomes manifest clinically.
On careful re-examination of the mummy a small irregularly shaped 3.7 cm long, deep, dark brown coloured stab wound was detected on Ötzi´s right hand extending from the palmar hand to the lateral ...back of the hand. Since it was unclear whether this wound had happened during lifetime or whether it was a postmortal artefact, we performed a histological analysis including histochemical staining for haemosiderin deposits (on Prussian blue stains). The fat tissue revealed cord-like inclusions of an amorphous, autofluorescing material with isolated focal haemosiderin pigment droplets in Prussian blue staining without intact erythrocytes. This amorphous material was then isolated by laser based microdissection, dissolved and tested for the presence of haemoglobin. A Guaiac-based test confirmed the presence of a blood clot. Our investigations indicate that the Iceman suffered from a vital stab wound of the right hand. Typical bleeding into the subcutaneous fat tissue and the initiation of transformation of the blood clot into haemosiderin could be demonstrated. Since forensic medical practise suggests the occurence of haemosiderin containing macrophages in skin wounds between 3 to 8 days after affliction, we strongly suggest that the injury happened a few days before his death. At present, we do not know if this skin wound may have happened simultaneously or shortly after Ötzi was hit by the arrow, but if so this would suggest that he survived the attack for a few days.
We report here on the morphological findings obtained in a small trephination core biopsy from the iliac crest of the Tyrolean Iceman (“Ötzi”). The approx. 1 cm long biopsy showed excellently ...conserved spongy bone and was divided prior to analysis into two parts for subsequent histological analysis following either careful decalcification or embedding into epoxy resin. Both techniques showed a typical network of bone trabeculas with empty osteocytic lacunae. Surprisingly, focally the residues of a delicate network of bone marrow connective tissue fibers were seen suggesting excellent conservation, although there were no residues of the cellular compartment of the marrow. There was no evidence for fibrosis. Resin embedded sections showed bone trabeculas with occasional small superficial hypomineralization bands such as seen in mild osteomalacia. The center of trabeculas, however, appeared regularly mineralized. There was no evidence for bone apposition, enhanced osteoclasia or structurally immature bone matrix. In conclusion, we detected signs of a very mild hypomineralization of few bone trabeculas. Since the conservation of the sample was so excellently well that even tiny marrow fibers were evident, we reject the assumption of postmortal artefactual demineralization and suggest mild osteomalazia in the individual during lifetime. This would be consistent with previous reports indicating Ötzi to have suffered from intestinal parasitosis which is a frequent cause of (mild) osteomalacia. In addition, we have no evidence that the Iceman suffered from other generalized metabolic diseases affecting bone.
To correlate atherosclerosis (Ath) and osteoarthritis (OA) in mummies from ancient Egypt.
Whole-body CT examinations of 23 mummies from the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin, Germany, ...and 22 mummies from the Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy.
Ath was assessed in five anatomical regions by means of preserved arterial calcifications. OA was assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence (1957) classification.
Statistical analysis revealed no correlation between Ath and total OA. A significant association was found for Ath and the upper limb group for OA grade >1 and for Ath and the lower limb group, consisting mainly of the hip and knee, for OA grade >2 OA.
The association of Ath and advanced OA of the hip and knee is comparable in prevalence to those reported in recent clinical studies, despite the low life expectancy and the different environment and lifestyle of the ancient Egyptians.
This is the first study to correlate findings of Ath and OA in ancient Egypt statistically. The diseases of Ath and OA are common ailments with enormous and increasing impacts on public health.
The large number of cardiovascular diseases was indicated only by arterial calcifications that resisted the post-mortem changes of the mummification process. Also, the assessed OA was on radiological OA.
Genomic studies of ancient Egyptian mummies may reveal genetic risk factors for Ath and OA that could be shared in ancient and modern populations.
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