Shocking Discovery: Scientists were studying an Egyptian mummy and discovered a strange cancer

According to researchers in Poland who are part of the Mummies of Warsaw project, a mysterious mummy of an ancient Egyptian woman, who may have been pregnant when she died, also suffered from a rare cancer.

The deformations of the mummy’s skull suggest the existence of a significant tumor behind the left eye.

The unusual mummy, which has been nicknamed the “Mysterious Lady”, probably comes from the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Modern Luxor. It dates back to about the 1st century BC, but was found sealed in a priest’s sarcophagus.

What scientists found in the mummy sarcophagus in Thebes

Having recently opened the sarcophagus for the first time, researchers from the Warsaw Mummies Project they were surprised to find the remains of an unknown woman inside. They soon began analyzing the body for clues as to why it had been sealed in someone else’s coffin.

In April 2021, project researchers published a study stating it CT scans of the Mysterious Lady had revealed the remains of a fetus within her womb, making her the world’s first known pregnant mummy.

The team estimated that the woman died around the 28th week of pregnancy. In January 2022, a follow-up document from the Polish team described how the fetus was brined like an egg inside the mummy.

However, some experts have questioned whether the mummy was pregnant and have suggested that the fossilized fetus may actually be a misshapen embalming package, which was inserted into the body to replace the organs removed during the mummification process.

New discoveries of the Mysterious Lady

Now, the same research team has announced that the Mysterious Lady is probable he had cancer of the nasopharynx, which affects the mouth, nasal cavity and trachea.

The new claims are based on the deformities found in the mummy’s skull, but the results have yet to be peer-reviewed or confirmed by definitive chemical tests.

Researchers first became aware of possible cancer later on a recent 3D reconstruction of Lady Mysterious’s skull, which revealed a 7mm hole behind her left eye socket.

“This unusual gap suggests that a tumor or lesion had grown there and forced the surrounding bone to separate from the rest of the pelvis,” said Marzena Ożarek-Szilke, archaeologist and anthropologist at the Warsaw Medical University and co-director of the Warsaw Mummy Project.

What is the Warsaw Mummies project

The Warsaw Mummies Project was started by a group of bioarchaeologists from the University of Warsaw in 2015. The project aims to thoroughly examine the human and animal mummies of ancient Egypt in the National Museum in Warsaw.

“Egyptian mummies are a great source of information when it comes to understanding the mysteries of the pharaohs civilization. Not only do they allow us to learn about their life and history, but they also shed light on what life was like in ancient Egypt. , their culture, their funeral beliefs and much more, “say the scientists on their official website.