Computer reveals 2,000-year-old secrets of an Egyptian mummy
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.HE DIED nearly 2,000 years ago, and no one knows his name. All that is known is that he was Egyptian, in his late 20s, and his top teeth overlapped his lower teeth.
The artist hid this detail in a portrait, but experts at Edinburgh have revealed his secret with state-of-the-art medical scanners normally reserved for the living.
Computer scanning, used to help identify ailments in the living, helped experts establish the sex and age of the dead without removing the delicate bandages which have preserved them. The unknown Egyptian is one of 13 mummies at the National Museums of Scotland where computer technology has helped unlock many of the secrets of the tomb.
He dates from the Roman period - about 80 AD to 100 AD - and amulets and wrappings suggest he came from a "fairly wealthy" family, said museum scientist Kathy Eremin.
The computer scanning enabled a reconstruction of his head to be made and a coffin portrait of the dead man helped them build up his features.
Scans have also shown how many Egyptians of that time suffered painful mouth abscesses, caused by grit and gritty food getting stuck between their teeth and gums.
But tooth decay was fairly rare, because of the rough and sugar-free diet.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments