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On display: 30 May - 22 October 2023
Exhibition curators: Dr Hab. Agnieszka Mączyńska, MA Joanna Hoffa (Poznań Archaeological Museum)
Concept of the exhibition: MA Marzena Ożarek-Szilke (The Oncology Clinic of the Warsaw Medical University, co-director of the Warsaw Mummy Project and chief executive director of the Mummy Research Centre), Dr Wojciech Ejsmond (co-director of the Warsaw Mummy Project and scientific director of the Mummy Research Centre), and Dr Renata Abłamowicz (Silesian Museum in Katowice).
The exhibition, prepared by the Silesian Museum in Katowice and currently on display at the Poznań Archeological Museum, showcases the application of non-invasive research methods in the study of archaeological objects. This type of research is of particular importance in the case of Egyptian mummies, as it provides a wide range of information without the need to unwrap bandages or incise soft tissues. Non-invasive techniques can be used to perform a "virtual autopsy" that allows for determining the sex and age of the deceased person, identifying some diseases and injuries, measuring bones and detecting foreign objects (e.g. ornaments). It can also reveal information about the mummification process and the state of preservation of tissues and wrappings. The results of modern-day research methods, when compared with previously employed practices of unfolding mummies from bandages (as documented in archival photographs), demonstrate the significant breakthrough achieved in this field of research over recent years.
The exhibition presents the results of a radiological study of an ancient Egyptian mummy, identified until recently as the priest Hor-Djehuty. The research has been carried out since 2015 by a team of Polish scientists, Marzena Ożarek-Szilke and Wojciech Ejsmond, as part of the Warsaw Mummy Project in collaboration with the National Museum in Warsaw.
The coffin and cartonnage containing the mummy were brought to Warsaw and donated to the Royal University of Warsaw by Jan Wężyk-Rudzki in late 1826 or early 1827. In 1917-18, the mummy was loaned to the National Museum in Warsaw, where it remains to this day. In the 19th century, researchers were convinced that the coffin contained the mummy of a woman. However, it was not until the 1920s that the hieroglyphs on the sarcophagus were deciphered, unambiguously indicating its owner - a priest Hor-Djehuty (the 2nd half of the 1st century BC. - 1st half of the 1st century AD). Radiological examinations carried out in the 1990s, due to the imperfect imaging technology of the time, failed to provide any findings on the sex of the deceased. Only during the research carried out by the Warsaw Mummy Project was it established that the sarcophagus contained the remains of a woman. Therefore, the scientists named the find the mummy of the Mysterious Lady. The computed tomography scanning and X-ray examinations showed that the bandaged body was of a delicate build, typical of women. Bone measurements and bone structure analyses confirmed the female sex. Additional evidence was provided by the scans that showed mummified breasts and female sexual organs.
Furthermore, according to researchers from the Warsaw Mummy Project, non-invasive studies indicate the presence of a mummified foetus in the lower part of the body. The Mysterious Lady likely died between the ages of 26 and 28, possibly from cancer (research related to this is still ongoing). She was 158-159 cm tall. Tomographic data revealed that the woman underwent the most expensive and complex mummification process. Her teeth were in excellent condition, indicating a high social status and access to better-quality food. However, the identity of the Mysterious Lady remains unknown. It is also unclear where she was originally buried, and although unconfirmed accounts suggest that she was retrieved from royal tombs in Thebes, there is no solid evidence to support this claim. The chronology of the Mysterious Lady has not been established either. The method of mummification, carried out using the highest standards of embalming techniques, points to the 1st millennium BC.
