Egyptian scientists have shown people the mummy of a pharaoh in a new high-tech project. The project allowed them to "digitally unwrap" the remains of Amenhotep I, a king during the 18th dynasty - the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt, and one of the most prominent royal houses in the nation's ancient history.
"By digitally unwrapping... the mummy and 'peeling off' its virtual layers -- the facemask, the bandages, and the mummy itself -- we could study this well-preserved pharaoh in unprecedented detail", said a press release from Dr Sahar Saleem, professor of radiology at the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University and radiologist on the Egyptian Mummy Project.
According to Saleem and her team, Amenhotep I was about 35 years old and 169 centimetres (5.5 feet) tall when he died. The cause of his death remains unclear, since there weren't any wounds on his body. However, the mummy suffered from multiple post-mortem injuries, likely caused by ancient tomb robbers.
Hieroglyphic texts discovered by the scientists suggest that priests and embalmers subsequently tried to repair the remains of the king almost four centuries after he was entombed.
"We show that, at least for Amenhotep I, the priests of the 21st dynasty lovingly repaired the injuries inflicted by the tomb robbers, restored his mummy to its former glory, and preserved the magnificent jewellery and amulets in place", Saleem said
Amenhotep I ruled Egypt for about 21 years, between 1525 and 1504 BC, during the golden age of the ancient Egyptian state. His reign is believed to have been a peaceful period, marked by the massive construction of immense temples across the country.