THE ANATOMICAL RECORD 298:954–973 (2015)

MUMAB: A Conversation With the Past

ANDREW D. WADE,1* RONALD G. BECKETT,2 GERALD J. CONLOGUE,2
RAMON GONZALEZ,2 RONN WADE,3 AND BOB BRIER4
1
Anthropology Department, University of Western Ontario, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
2
Bioanthropology Research Institute, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, Connecticut
3
School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
4
Philosophy Department, Long Island University, Brookville, New York

ABSTRACT
In May of 1994, Drs. Bob Brier and Ronn Wade produced the first
modern mummy embalmed in the ancient Egyptian tradition. MUMAB
(Mummy, University of Maryland At Baltimore) has been studied over
the intervening 18 years as part of the Mummy Replication Project,
including high-resolution computed tomography scanning, magnetic reso-
nance imaging, and histological examination. The radiological study of
MUMAB is combined here with the firsthand discussion of the processes
that resulted in the mummy’s radiographic appearance. This allows for a
close examination of the assumptions made in the radiological study of
ancient Egyptian mummified human remains in a way not possible for
the ancient remains themselves. Anat Rec, 298:954–973, 2015. V C 2015

Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Key words: mummification; ancient Egypt; modern mummy;

MUMAB; computed tomography; magnetic reso-
nance imaging

In May of 1994, Dr. Bob Brier and Ronn Wade
“attempted to replicate Egyptian mummification with a
human cadaver” (Brier and Wade, 2001, p 117, see also
Brier and Wade, 1997, 1999). The result of this endeavor
was MUMAB (Mummy, University of Maryland At Balti-
more), the first modern mummy embalmed in the
ancient Egyptian tradition and the centerpiece of the
Mummy Replication Project. The mummy has been stud-
ied over the past 18 years, to assess the success of the
mummification process at halting decomposition (Wade,
2011).
In September of 2010, MUMAB was imaged by Gerald
Conlogue, Ronald Beckett, Tori Randall (Museum of
Man), and Jeff Sorbello (Toshiba) on an Aquilion ONE
320-slice multidetector computed tomography (CT) scan-
ner at the Toshiba Education Research and Development
Facility in Irvine, CA. Matt Costa (Scripps Imaging) also
conducted a magnetic resonance imaging examination.
These scans were reviewed in detail by four of the authors
(AW, RB, GC, and RG), with the intention of describing
the remains in relation to our current understanding of
the ancient Egyptian mummification tradition.
These results have been presented to the embalmers
themselves (BB and RW) for commentary, a vital conver-
sation clearly not possible with the embalmers of ancient
Egypt. This dialogue extends the power of experimental
archaeology, beyond simply the ability to say that mum-
mification traditions as we understand them were tech-
nically feasible, toward an understanding of likelihood
that the ancient methods correspond to the tested tech-
niques. The radiological assessment of mummified
human and animal remains, particularly using CT, is a
common non-destructive means by which to study mum-
mification traditions. By comparing what is seen in
This article includes ARWOWVideos, which can be viewed
at http://bcove.me/y49knb89; http://bcove.me/j63lm3j5; http://
bcove.me/qegvb48p; http://bcove.me/sx57tmpi; http://bcove.
me/2w2paca3; http://bcove.me/z71rr3z1
Grant sponsor: SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship; Grant
number: 767-2009-7041; Grant sponsor: Western Graduate The-
sis Research Award.
*Correspondence to: Andrew Wade, Department of Anthropol-
ogy, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, Lon-
don, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7. Tel.: 1519-661-2111.
E-mail: drew.adwade@gmail.com
Received 16 January 2015; Accepted 30 January 2015.
DOI 10.1002/ar.23152
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.
com).

C 2015 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

V
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST 955

Fig. 1. Coronal CT slice showing the presence of penis.

radiographs of ancient mummies with the radiographic

appearance of MUMAB, and with the embalmers’ own
experience, we come closer to an appreciation for the
conscious decisions made by the ancient Egyptians in
the preparation of their fellows for that ubiquitous fea-
ture of human existence; death.

RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE

MUMMY
Age, Sex, and Status
The scans of MUMAB indicate that the individual
who donated their body to this endeavor was a male of
advanced age. The presence of male genitalia (penis and
testes both apparent—Fig. 1) leaves little doubt as to
the sex of this individual, and such clear assessment is
possible in many mummies.
While CT scans lend themselves very well to the
assessment of age in children and young adults, there
are few features that can be easily assessed for precise
determination of age-at-death in the articulated skeleton
of an older adult. In this case, the pubic symphysis, cra-
nial sutures, and first rib morphology were appreciable
and contribute multiple lines of evidence toward an esti-
mate of age-at-death. The morphology of the pubic sym-
physeal surface (Fig. 2) corresponds to Phase 6 of the
Suchey–Brooks progression (Brooks and Suchey, 1990).
Although the assessment of cranial sutures is somewhat
subjective in CT scans, owing to the effects of adjusting
the level and window (similar to brightness and con- Fig. 2. 3D reconstruction of the left pubic symphysis. The com-
trast) on the appearance of surfaces in reconstructions, plete rim (indicated) and depressed face indicate phase 6 of the
the sutures of the vault appear to be in advanced stages Suchey–Brooks progression.
956
Fig. 3. 3D reconstructions of the skull, showing state of cranial sutures (*, coronal suture; o, squamosal
suture, arrow, lambdoid suture).
of closure. Lateral anterior scores on both sides were 14
(Fig. 3, Supporting Information Video 1), corresponding
to Stage 7 closure (Meindl and Lovejoy, 1985). Assess-
ment of the first rib is also complicated by subjective
adjustments in CT scans, but this individual clearly
demonstrates a Stage 5 appearance of the costal face
geometry (Fig. 4) and likely a Stage 4 appearance of the
tubercle facet surface texture (Fig. 5) (DiGangi et al.,
2009). The symphyseal surface result indicates an indi-
vidual between the ages of 34 and 86 years (the oldest
category, with a mean of 61.2 years) (Brooks and Suchey,
1990); the suture closure result indicates an age range
WADE ET AL.
of 49–65 (the oldest category, with a mean of 56.2 years)
(Meindl and Lovejoy, 1985); and the rib morphology
results indicate a range from 36.81 to 88.99 years (again,
the oldest category, with a greatest posterior probability
of 66.19 years) (DiGangi et al., 2009).
Additionally, but not diagnostic of age, all of the costal
cartilage has ossified (Fig. 6); the spine shows marked
degenerative disc disease (osteophytic lipping, Schmorl’s
nodes—Fig. 7); the shoulders show severe osteoarthritic
changes (subchondral cysts, massive osteophyte forma-
tion—Fig. 8); the right hip and left knee have been
replaced with prostheses (Fig. 9); and the individual is
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST
Fig. 4. Axial CT slice, showing ossification of the sternal end of the
first left rib.
Fig. 5. 3D reconstruction of the left first rib, showing the costal facet
(indicated).
edentulous (Fig. 10). All of these factors point to an indi-
vidual of advanced years, likely well beyond the age of
60, and the ossification of the costal cartilage and
appearance of the hips suggest an age of 701.
The hands and feet, in addition to exhibiting a patchy
lytic and sclerotic appearance likely related to post-
mortem changes brought about in embalming, are closer
in appearance to a modern professional rather than a
laborer, suggesting that this individual would correspond
to a middle or elite social class.
957
Fig. 6. Coronal maximum intensity projection (MIP) of the highly
ossified sternal rib ends (indicated on right ribs).
Excerebration
The brain has been removed through the left nostril
in this individual (Fig. 11). The brain is absent in its
entirety as are the dural partitions, leaving remnants of
the dura mater in the inferior of the posterior cranial
fossa. The anterior of the ethmoid air cells bilaterally,
the left side of the cribriform plate, and the nasal sep-
tum are damaged (Fig. 12). The posterior ethmoid air
cells, superiorly, and the nasal conchae are intact. This
indicates a very low angle of insertion for the excerebra-
tion tool, nearly parallel to the face, rather than a more
deeply angled transnasal craniotomy that passes
through various portions of the sphenoid (Fig. 13). Linen
is present in the posterior quarter of the cranial cavity
embedded in a speckled, medium-density (70 HU) sub-
stance (Fig. 14). This substance lacks a clear solidified
fluid level and is slightly more heterogeneous and less
dense than resin (250 HU for sample in pelvis). This is
favored to represent a dried slurry of macerated brain
adherent to linen packing.
A small, coiled opacity is present in the linen and
brain on the right side (Fig. 14), perhaps a piece of a
broken excerebration tool. Two bone fragments, likely
portions of the ethmoid air cells and cribriform plate,
are also present in the brain and linen in the dependent
portion of the cranium (Fig. 14). No nasal tampon is
present and the skull base and spine are unremarkable,
with the spinal cord present in the cervical vertebrae
(Fig. 7). The eyes and tongue are intact without appa-
rent packing, and there is no apparent packing of the
naso/oro/hypopharynx (Fig. 15, Supporting Information
Video 2).
Evisceration
This individual has been eviscerated by way of an
8.2 cm long, 3.3 cm wide, nearly vertical, hypochon-
drial incision on the left side of the abdomen (Fig. 16).
958 WADE ET AL.

Fig. 7. Sagittal CT slices showing degenerative changes in the cervical (left) and lumbar (right) vertebrae
(e.g., large osteophytes, indicated).

Fig. 8. Axial CT slice showing degenerative changes in the shoulders (large osteophytes indicated).

The incision forms a narrow oval of approximately Wade and Nelson (2013). The incision is slightly
18.9 cm circumference, suggesting an initial (linear) angled, laterally at the superior end, and is slightly
incision of approximately 9.5 cm length. This is more medial than typical Egyptian vertical, hypochon-
slightly below the average range of 10–12 cm noted by drial incisions (Fig. 17).
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST
Fig. 9. 3D reconstruction of the right hip and left knee prostheses,
with isolated views of the prosthesis hardware.
The heart is present in the pericardial sac and
remains connected to the aorta (Fig. 18). The heart and
vessels appear empty of blood and the ventricles and
atria remain patent (Fig. 19, Supporting Information
Video 3). The lungs have been removed, with the pri-
mary bronchi severed several centimeters inferior to
carina (Fig. 20, Supporting Information Video 4). The
diaphragm has been incised mid-hemithorax on the right
side and largely excised on the left side (Fig. 21).
The abdominal organs, including the liver, stomach,
intestines, kidneys, and urinary bladder, are not intact
in the body cavity (Fig. 7). The rectum and urethra
(beyond the penis—Fig. 1) are not apparent, and the
esophagus is not apparent below the level of T2.
Eleven packages of heterogeneous radiodensity have
been placed in the thoracic cavity (Fig. 22, Supporting
Information Video 5), and are favored to represent pack-
ing and desiccation materials rather than organ packets.
Package 1—Left thoracic cavity (T2–T6), largely
empty with some small high-density particles (likely
natron)
Package 2—Left thoracic cavity (T5–T7), partially
empty, some medium-density fragments and small high-
density particles (likely natron)
Package 3—Left thoracic cavity (T7–T11), full of low
to medium-density linear opacities loosely tangled
Package 4—Right thoracic cavity (T2–T6), similar to
Package no. 2
Package 5—Right thoracic cavity (T3–T7), similar to
Package no. 1
Package 6—Right thoracic cavity (T4–T7), some empty
space, mostly filled with numerous small high-density
particles (likely natron)
Package 7—Right thoracic cavity (T6–T9), similar to
Package no. 6, but less full and containing larger
particles
959
Fig. 10. 3D reconstruction showing the mummy’s edentulism.
Package 8—Right thoracic cavity (T4–T8), similar to
Package no. 2
Package 9—Right thoracic cavity (T5–T9), similar to
Package no. 2
Package 10—Right thoracic cavity (T7–T10), similar
to Package no. 6
Package 11—Right thoracic cavity (T8–T10), similar
to Package no. 2
A small pool of resin or fragment of the interior of the
abdominal wall with small high-density inclusions
(likely natron) is present in the dependent portion of the
pelvis (Fig. 23). There is no anal tampon apparent. The
evisceration incision has not been sutured, but has been
covered by a 2 mm thick, medium-density (250 HU to
2120 HU—plastic?) plate measuring 8 cm long by 4 cm
wide, in the shape of a natural eye (notched, pointed
oval—Fig. 24).
Embalming Materials
MUMAB has been wrapped in 12 layers of fine
linen. The arms and legs have been wrapped sepa-
rately and covered by the outermost four to five layers
of body wrappings. A high-density (1,800 HU—stone?)
amulet, in the shape of the heart hieroglyph (lug-
handled jar), has been placed external to the body cav-
ity, in the wrappings above the xyphoid process (Fig.
25). No inscriptions are apparent on the amulet at
this resolution (0.5 mm isotropic). A large wooden
ankh is present on the outside of the wrappings above
the amulet (Fig. 26). Dabs of resin, presumably to
hold the wrappings in place, are apparent in the linen
at the forehead, posterior of the head, front of the
neck, sternum (left of the amulet), upper midline of
the anterior abdomen, center of the anterior abdomen,
left forearm, right upper thigh, left middle inner thigh,
and right shin (Fig. 27).
960
Fig. 11. 3D reconstructions (left) and multiplanar reformats (right) of the transnasal craniotomy path and
lesion.
Additional Features
The remains also displayed signs of a skin incision,
numerous skin excisions, several punctures (including
numerous tiny punctures in the heart), and several bone
excisions. The skin excisions (right lateral scalp, anterior
of right distal thigh, anterior of right foot, posterior of
left calf—Fig. 28) and bone excisions (four sites on the
anterior of left tibia—Fig. 29); a puncture of the thoracic
cavity between the fourth and fifth left ribs (Fig. 30);
and the numerous punctures of the heart’s left ventricle
and interventricular septum (Fig. 31) are presumed to
WADE ET AL.
be biopsies. The puncture in the chest wall is radially
central to the punctures in the heart, and was likely an
access point for at least six needle biopsies of the heart.
The chest wall puncture penetrates several inner layers
of wrapping, but not the outermost layers. The bone
excisions and the right lateral scalp excision were not
present in plain film radiographs and magnetic reso-
nance imaging performed in 1996 and, we conclude, are
more recent biopsies.
Skin has been incised and reflected from the right
side of the neck and the opening appears to
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST 961

Fig. 12. Multiplanar reformats showing the damage to paranasal structures (indicated, ethmoid, lower
left; cribriform plate, upper left; nasal septum, right).

Fig. 14. Axial CT slice of the skull showing the linen and brain resi-
due (*) and the unidentified coiled opacity (arrow).

cavity and passes close to the subclavicular artery (Fig.

Fig. 13. Sagittal CT slice of the ancient Egyptian mummy Pa-Ib,
demonstrating the trans-sphenoidal craniotomy approach.
communicate with the right common carotid artery (Fig.
32, Supporting Information Video 6). Taken with the
lack of blood in the heart and the patent ventricles and
atria, this would seem to suggest exsanguination prior
to embalming; although patent vessels are seen in other
mummies (e.g., Redpath Museum’s Theban Male—
RM2718). A puncture immediately superior to the mid-
dle of the left clavicle communicates with the thoracic
33). Another presumed needle biopsy track is present
superior to this puncture (Fig. 34). There is an addi-
tional puncture and subcutaneous cavity in the left but-
tock, stuffed with linen (Fig. 35), and a long linear break
in the skin along the posterior of the left calf (Fig. 36).
Finally, there is a lack of opacification of the interver-
tebral discs and other cartilaginous structures (Figs. 7
and 37). Intervertebral disc opacification is a common,
but not universal, feature in ancient Egyptian mummies,
and has been ascribed to the use of natron for the pur-
pose of desiccation (Gray, 1967; David, 2006). While the
scans show that it is likely that natron was used as a
962
Fig. 15. Sagittally sectioned 3D reconstruction of the skull demon-
strating the absence of naso/oro/hypopharyngeal packing.
Fig. 16. 3D reconstruction showing the abdominal incision of
MUMAB (indicated).
desiccant, its use has not resulted in cartilage opacifica-
tion here.
MUMMIFICATION PROCESS OF MUMAB
Overview
The remains of an elderly male, with no disease proc-
esses that would alter the relevant anatomy, were
WADE ET AL.
Fig. 17. 3D reconstruction of the abdominal incision of the ancient
Egyptian mummy Pa-Ib (indicated).
acquired through the Maryland State Anatomy Board
Donation Program, with the goal of reproducing as
closely as possible the art of the ancient Egyptian
embalmer as it was practiced on elites of the New King-
dom. The procedure itself is presented in detail in the
articles “The Use of Natron in Human Mummification: A
Modern Experiment” (Brier and Wade, 1997) and
“Surgical Procedures During Ancient Egyptian
Mummification” (Brier and Wade, 1999). The mummifi-
cation procedures were based on: (1) the ancient descrip-
tions of mummification made by Herodotus and other
classical historians (e.g., Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, Plu-
tarch); (2) the procedures that could be inferred from the
Ritual of Embalming; (3) experimentation with several
donated crania; and (4) the immediate necessities of the
procedure dictated by human anatomy as it was per-
formed. The process began with the removal of the brain
from the cranial cavity, followed by the removal of the
abdominal organs, and then removal of the lungs. The
body was packed with natron-filled pouches, surrounded
with loose natron, and left in place for 35 days before
wrapping occurred.
Excerebration
The brain was removed through the nose, by way of
an orifice produced in the ethmoid and cribriform plate.
The ethmoid was penetrated bilaterally, first from the
right nostril then from the left, and the remaining spine
of bone between the perforations was broken down to
create a single, wide orifice. A bronze wire with a coiled
end was inserted and rotated to macerate one hemi-
sphere of the brain at a time. Water, palm wine, and
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST 963

Fig. 18. Coronally sectioned 3D reconstruction and multiplanar reformat showing the intact heart (arrow,
aorta, *, left ventricle, o, right ventricle).

Fig. 19. Multiplanar reformats showing the patent ventricles and atria (arrows, ventricles, o, right atrium,
*, superior vena cava).

frankincense were used to irrigate the cranial cavity, fol- dura mater had been completely removed, linen strips
lowing which the body was positioned on its abdomen were introduced into the cranial cavity and used as
and the brain and fluids drained from both nostrils. In swabs until they no longer showed signs of brain, fluids,
order to ensure that the macerated brain and shredded or membranes when removed.
964 WADE ET AL.

Fig. 20. Coronal CT slice showing carina (c) and the severed primary
bronchi (arrows).
Evisceration
The abdominal wall was opened with a 2.5-inch
(6.35 cm) incision, approximately two inches (5.08 cm)
left of the umbilicus, using an obsidian blade. The inter-
nal abdominal organs were individually identified, iso-
lated, and removed. Although the donor had been fed
intravenously following a series of heart attacks and a
stroke, and the intestinal tract was largely empty, the
organs were ligated prior to removal to limit exposure of
the participants to pathogens. All of the organs, except
for the liver, were removed through the initial incision.
The size of the liver, however, necessitated extension of
the incision to approximately 3 inches (7.62 cm) to
remove that organ in one piece. The inferior walls of the
diaphragm were incised to create openings to the tho-
racic cavity in order to access the left and right lungs.
The pulmonary arteries and veins and the bronchial con-
nections were incised and each lung compressed and
removed. The heart was left in place. The empty body

Fig. 21. Sagittal slices and superior view 3D reconstruction showing the incision and excision of the left
(8.2 cm, shown left) and right (4.7 cm, shown right) sides of the diaphragm.

Fig. 22. Coronally sectioned 3D reconstruction and coronal CT slices showing the position of the eleven
thoracic packets.
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST 965

Fig. 23. Coronally sectioned 3D reconstruction and sagittal CT slice showing the pelvic resin or abdomi-
nal wall fragment (indicated).

Fig. 25. 3D reconstruction of the heart hieroglyph amulet.

Fig. 24. 3D reconstruction showing the eye-shaped incision plate.

cavities were rinsed with frankincense and palm wine
and the cavities filled with 22 pouches of natron.
DISCUSSION
The radiological assessment of the mummified
remains accords well with the donor profile and with the
procedures as they actually occurred. The donor was a
man in his late 70s who had received right hip and left
knee arthroplasties. Evidence for the likelihood of the
heart attacks and stroke leading up to the donor’s death,
are clearly visible in the calcified atherosclerotic plaques
in all of the major vessel beds (Fig. 38, Supporting Infor-
mation Videos 5 and 6), and their appearance
966
Fig. 26. 3D reconstruction of the wooden ankh amulet.
corresponds well with that of calcified atherosclerotic
plaques in other ancient Egyptian mummies (cf. Allam
et al., 2009; Thompson et al., 2013). However, while
much of the radiographic appearance of the mummy cor-
responds to the mummification procedure, there are
some cases in which the appearance and the practice did
not agree.
Although the appearance of the transnasal craniotomy
lesion suggests a single, left-sided entry, the cribriform
plate was perforated bilaterally, first from the right nos-
tril then from the left. The slightly lateral angle of entry
has resulted in an internal appearance assumed to be
indicative of entry through the opposite nostril. The
appearance of damage to the ethmoid air cells bilaterally
seems to be a more accurate indicator of excerebration
siding. The transethmoid, rather than transsphenoid,
perforation, however, does correlate with the low angle
of entry (30 degree from the plane of the face) of the
excerebration tool. The presence of linen in the cranial
cavity was unexpected, as all of the linen was thought to
have been removed prior to wrapping. The medium-
density speckled material adherent to the linen was also
unexpected, as the brain had also been presumed to
have been thoroughly removed. The remaining material
is likely a slurry of brain and palm wine sediment and
residue that had saturated several remnant linen swabs.
The coiled object remains unidentified, and is not a bro-
ken piece of an embalming tool. Although the appear-
ance corresponds well with the end of the bronze wire
used to macerated the brain, that tool remains intact.
The object is likely, therefore, to be a spiral-shaped frag-
ment of bone, possibly from the ethmoid labyrinth or one
of the superior nasal conchae. The radiographic assess-
ment also correctly noted the lack of nasal, oral, and
pharyngeal packing.
The abdominal incision was initially 2.5-inches long,
and was extended an additional half-inch to accommo-
WADE ET AL.
Fig. 27. 3D reconstructions showing the dabs of resin in the wrap-
pings (indicated).
date the liver’s removal. This represents a 1.83 cm dis-
crepancy between the calculated linear incision and the
length of the incision at the time of evisceration. The
incision appears, therefore, to have been stretched
slightly either by manipulation during the evisceration
or by natural retraction of the skin during desiccation.
The radiological assessment notes the excision of the left
side of the diaphragm, where this was merely incised in
practice. Again, further damage may have occurred dur-
ing removal of the lungs or retraction of the tissue may
have resulted from desiccation. The organs noted as
absent had been removed from the body cavity, and the
heart was left intact in the pericardium. The packets in
the abdominal and thoracic cavities were, for the most
part, correctly identified. Packets 1, 2, 4–6, and 8–11 are
natron-filled pouches. Desiccation of the remains was
performed using natron (400 lbs) inside and outside of
the body, and these fresh packets were placed in the
body cavities immediately prior to wrapping. Packet 3,
containing the tangled low-to-medium-density material,
is filled with wood shavings, while Packet 7, containing
the larger high-density particles, is filled with myrrh.
Resin, however, was not applied internally to the body
cavity, and the assumption that the small pool in the
pelvis was resin is incorrect. Rather, it likely represents
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST 967

Fig. 28. 3D reconstructions showing the skin excisions.

more of the palm wine residue and sediment, pooled fol-
lowing rinsing of the body cavity, along with frankin-
cense added at that time.
The abdominal incision was covered with an eye-
shaped incision plate of gold-colored metal foil (8–10 mm
thick), a stone amulet in the shape of the heart hiero-
glyph was placed over the heart, and a wooden ankh
was placed above the inner chest wrappings. The body
wrappings included a layer decorated with hieroglyphic
mortuary spells, although the hieroglyphs were not
noted in the radiological assessment. The dabs of resin
in the linen wrappings were noted, however, and cor-
rectly attributed to the purpose of retaining the wrap-
pings in place. While many ancient Egyptian mummies
were covered in resin to tightly retain the bandages, the
intent of the Mummy Replication Project is also to moni-
tor the preservation of the mummy and it was necessary
that the bandages be removable to facilitate later test-
ing. Partial removal of the wrappings has allowed tissue
samples to be collected on an ongoing basis, and these
sampling sites have been noted in the radiological
assessment. The numerous skin and bone excisions and
punctures, including the buttock puncture, were tissue
samples taken at the time of wrapping and at six-month
968 WADE ET AL.

Fig. 29. Sagittal CT slice and 3D reconstructions of the bone excisions in the left tibia.

Fig. 30. 3D reconstruction and coronal CT slice showing the chest cavity puncture.
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST
Fig. 31. Axial CT slices showing the fine punctures of the heart in relation to the chest puncture.
Fig. 32. 3D reconstruction showing the reflected skin incision on the neck.
969
to two-year intervals since 1994. The reflected incision
at the neck was not the result of exsanguination—this
was not performed on MUMAB—but the result of col-
lecting nerve tissue samples from the neck. The longitu-
dinal incision in the back of the left calf is also a nerve
sampling incision, in that case the sural nerve. The
supraclavicular and lateral chest wall perforations, how-
ever, were made in 1999 to permit laparoscopic examina-
tion of the thoracic cavity. Needle biopsies were taken of
the heart and supraclavicular region at that time.
MUMAB remains stable and unthreatened by bacterial
or fungal damage, and is currently housed in the San
Diego Museum of Man (Beckett et al., 2011a).
CONCLUSION
Since 1994 MUMAB has been the only “ancient
Egyptian” mummy about which we know everything
involved in its mummification, and these mummified
remains are a benchmark against which ancient Egyp-
tian mummies can be compared. It is our hope that
experimentation with other forms of mummification
(e.g., National Geographic, 2010; Beckett et al., 2011b—
see also Beckett and Nelson, this volume; Egarter Vigl
et al., 2011) and with additional Egyptian techniques
970 WADE ET AL.

Fig. 33. 3D reconstruction and sagittal CT slice showing the large supraclavicular puncture.

Fig. 34. Coronal CT slice showing the fine supraclavicular puncture.

(e.g., BBC4, 2011; Papageorgopoulou et al., 2011) will
continue, and will provide further comparative data with
which to advance our understanding of similar ancient
mummies and the technologies we use to study them.
State of the art examinations of modern mummies pro-
vide clarification to mummy researchers of the correla-
tions they assume to exist between their ancient
subjects of study and their modern radiographic, chemi-
cal, and histological results. This dialogue between the
embalmers and other mummy researchers is an
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST 971

Fig. 35. 3D reconstruction and sagittal CT slice of the subcutaneous packing in the left buttock.

Fig. 36. 3D reconstruction of the skin break in the posterior left calf.
972 WADE ET AL.

Fig. 37. Sagittal CT slice demonstrating the lack of cartilage opacification.

Fig. 38. Multiplanar reformats showing calcified aortic (left), subclavian (right and middle), and carotid
(middle) atherosclerotic plaques (indicated).
 MUMAB: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST
important step in deepening our understanding of the
ancient Egyptian mummification tradition and of other
mummification traditions worldwide.
LITERATURE CITED
Allam AH, Thompson RC, Wann LS, Miyamoto MI, Thomas GS.
2009. Computed tomographic assessment of atherosclerosis in
ancient Egyptian mummies. JAMA 302:2091–2094.
BBC4. 2011. Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s last secret. Aired 24 Octo-
ber 2011.
Beckett RG, Boswell GE, Boucher RJ, Brier B, Brown DE,
Conlogue GJ, Costa M, Downey T, Hoang P, Horsley P, Kondrat
JW, Lohmann U, Nelson AJ, Olson M, Stahl T, Takahashi A, Vu
D, Wade AD, Wade R, Wilding A, Wright A. 2011a. Modern day
mummy: the art & science of mummification. Exhibit of the San
Diego Museum of Man, June 2011 to March 2012.
Beckett RG, Lohmann U, Bernstein J. 2011b. A unique field
mummy conservation project in Papua New Guinea. Yearbk
Mummy Stud 1:19–27.
Brier B, Wade RS. 1997. The use of natron in mummification. Zeits-
chrift Fur Agyptische Sprache 124:89–100.
Brier B, Wade RS. 1999. Surgical procedures during ancient Egyp-
tian mummification. Zeitschrift Fur Agyptische Sprache 126:89–
97.
Brier B, Wade RS. 2001. Surgical procedures during ancient Egyp-
tian mummification. Chungara 33:117–123.
Brooks ST, Suchey JM. 1990. Skeletal age determination based on
the os pubis: a comparison of the Acs
adi-nemesk
eri and Suchey-
brooks methods. Hum Evol 5:227–238.
David AR. 2006. Mummification. In: Nicholson PT, Shaw I, editors.
Ancient Egyptian materials and technology. Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University Press. p 372–389.
973
DiGangi EA, Bethard JD, Kimmerle EH, Konigsberg LW. 2009. A
new method for estimating age-at-death from the first rib. Am J
Phys Anthropol 138:164–175.
Egarter Vigl E, Graefen A, Samadelli M, Maixner F, Grumer A,
Zink A. 2011. Human experimental ice mummification for conser-
vation and taphonomic studies. Paper presented to the 7th World
Congress on Mummy Studies, San Diego, CA, Jun.14, 2011.
Gray PHK. 1967. Calcinosis Intervertebralis, with special reference
to similar changes found in mummies of ancient Egyptians. In:
Brothwell D, Sandison AT, editors. Diseases in antiquity: a survey
of the diseases, injuries and surgery of early populations. Spring-
field, IL: Charles C Thomas. p 20–30.
Meindl RS, Lovejoy CO. 1985. Ectocranial suture closure: a revised
method for the determination of skeletal age at death based on
the lateral-anterior sutures. Am J Phys Anthropol 68:57–66.
National Geographic. 2010. Lost mummies of New Guinea. Aired 16
November 2010.
Papageorgopoulou C, Shved N, R€ uhli FJ. 2011. Post-mortem altera-
tions of mummified human tissue under experimental setting.
Paper presented to the 7th World Congress on Mummy Studies,
San Diego, CA, Jun.14, 2011.
Thompson RC, Allam AH, Lombardi GP, Wann LS, Sutherland ML,
Sutherland JD, Soliman MA, Frohlich B, Mininberg DT, Monge
JM, Vallodolid CM, Cox SL, Abd el-Maksoud G, Badr I, Miyamoto
MI, Nur el-din AE, Narula J, Finch CE, Thomas GS. 2013. Ather-
osclerosis across 4000 years of human history: the horus study of
four ancient populations. Lancet 381:1211–1222.
Wade AD, Nelson AJ. 2013. Radiology of the evisceration tradition
in ancient Egyptian mummies. HOMO 64:1–28.
Wade RS. 2011. The Mummy Replication Project: 1994 to the pres-
ent. Paper presented at The Anatomical Record and University of
Pennsylvania Museum ‘Anatomy of the Mummy’ symposium,
Philadelphia, PA, Feb. 26, 2011.