She screamed and screamed: Why was Egyptian Mummy's face so contorted? Scientists have a clue

The wild facial expression of an Egyptian Mummy buried some 2,500 years ago had puzzled scientists for years, and now they appear to have found the reason. New research suggests that the woman who was mummified in ancient Egypthad died in extreme pain, which led her to scream so hard at the time of her demise that her face got locked in position.

Earlier it was thought that her facial expression got spoiled due to a badly done mummification. But new research by Cairo University radiologist Dr Sahar Saleem and Egyptian Antiquities Ministry anthropologist Samira El-Merghani posited that it's highly unlikely.

Based on their examinations, the researchers concluded that her body was embalmed using imported, embalmed material, meaning it was not a bad burial process that caused the deathly expression after all, according to the research published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

The findings were done based on new 'virtual dissections' through CT scans, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis.

“The mummy's screaming facial expression in this study could be read as a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died screaming from agony or pain,” Saleem said.

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What is Cadaveric Spasm?

In case of violent or extremely painful deaths, muscles stiffen to a stage known as cadaveric spasm. It happens as a result of extreme pain, or intense emotions.

In her case, the woman was thought to have been suffering from ailments such as arthritis, and was in extreme agony during her death.

“The Screaming Woman is a true ‘time capsule’ of the way that she died and was mummified,” Saleem said in a release.

The story of Screaming Woman Mummy

The Mummy was first discovered in 1935 by an expedition team of the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

The woman is believed to have been a relative of Senmut, an architect who oversaw royal works in ancient Thebes. Senmut was the lover of Queen Hatschepsut of Thebes, who is believed to have lived between 1479 and 1458 BCE.

The mummies of Senmut, his mother, and other relatives were found in Deir Elbahari near Luxor, where ancient Thebes was located.

Until 1998, the Screaming Woman had been kept at Kasr Al Ainy School of Medicine in Cairo.

(With inputs from agencies)