One of history's most famous mummies is "Unknown Man E," found at the ancient Egyptian site of Deir el-Bahri. But this, one of the most scary mummies ever found, is better known to the world as the "Screaming Mummy."
This bizarre mummy features a thrown-back head and an open jaw in
what looks like a blood-curdling scream. But what happened to Egypt's
Screaming Mummy, and why is he yelling? Archaeologists analyzed the mummy and
his wrappings and have reasoned he might have been a disgraced prince named
Pentawere.
Here are 11 Horrifying Facts About The Screaming Mummy
1- His Hands And Feet Are Bound And He Wasn't Properly Mummified
The
Screaming Mummy was notably different from others mummies
Egyptologists have found previously, which raised red flags for scientists. One
notable difference was that rather than linen, he was wrapped in
sheepskin, which the purity-obsessed Egyptians regarded as unclean. Only
offenders or people damned for eternity would have been entombed in such a
manner.
Also,
his coffin was unmarked - no one could recite his name in the afterlife, which
was a big deal - and his hands and feet were bound, as if he had perished
a prisoner. He wasn't even truly mummified properly, just dried out in
natron with resin placed in his mouth.
2-
He May Have Been A Prince Executed For Involvement In 'The
Harem Conspiracy'
Scholars think they might have identified Unknown Man E. There was
once a man named Prince Pentawere, a son of Pharaoh Ramesses III, who
participated in a conspiracy to remove his father from the throne. One of
Ramesses's minor wives, a member of his harem named Tiy, wanted her
husband off the throne. She aimed to oust the king and put her son,
Pentawere, in his place. The plan also involved removing Ramesses's chosen
heir.
Pentawere's
plan didn't make it and he was labeled a traitor, disgraced like Man E, who
fit the physical profile of the prince. Interestingly, the Screaming Mummy
has similar DNA markers and Y chromosomes to Ramesses III. It's likely
that Man E and Ramesses III were father and son.
3-
The Harem Conspiracy Involved More Than Just Prince Pentawere
And His Mother
Along
with Queen Tiy and Prince Pentawere, a group of important noblemen
conspired to get rid of Ramesses III. A record of their trial, called the Turin Judicial Papyrus, still
survives. As a result, we know the names of the chief conspirators. One was
"Pebekkamen, formerly chief of the chamber" who stirred up resentment
against the Pharaoh. Pebekkamen conspired with ex-butler Mesedsure,
ex-overseer of the royal harem Peynok, and the scribe Pendua. The conspiracy
went all the way to the top. Top-level conspirators included Peyes, the former
commander of the army, Oneney, the chief of police, Hori, the head of the
infantry bearers, and more.
As it
turns out, the conspirators didn't entirely fail. Examination of the mummy of
Ramesses III revealed a seven-centimeter-wide slash on his throat that went
deep to the bone.
4-
Prince Pentawere Took His Own Life After Being Condemned By
A Court
The
Turin Judicial Papyrus also records the fate of Pentawere, the would-be
pharaoh. Apprehended for colluding with his mother, he "was placed before
the butlers, in order to examine him; they found him guilty; they left him in
his place; he took his own life."
But by
what means? How exactly did Unknown Man E expire? Perhaps by poison.
In
1886, Gaston Maspero, the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, hypothesized:
All those
who saw him first hand thought that [he] looked as though he had been poisoned.
The contraction of the abdomen and stomach, the desperate movement with which
the head is thrown back, the expression of excruciating pain spread over
the face hardly allow for any other explanation.
A
chemist who analyzed the body also suggested the man was perhaps entombed alive
or hung, which would back out the
suggestion that Pentawere took his own life.
5-
The 'Scream' Only Resulted From The Head Falling Back
Post-Mortem
At
first glance, one might think that the screaming expression exhibited by the
Screaming Mummy came from him experiencing an agonizing pain. In actuality, it
probably happened rather naturally. As it turns out, his head fell back after he passed. His jaw
fell open postmortem, leaving him "screaming" for all eternity.
6-
The Mummy Was Found Among A Number Of Royal Coffins
The Screaming Mummy was
discovered along with a group of other royal coffins. The group resided at Deir
el-Bahri, located near the Valley of the Kings. Lots of the other mummies had
identification on them, but not Unknown Man E, yet the fact he was included
among royal mummies suggests he was of royal blood.
7-
Screaming Mummies Have Been Found All Over The World
The
screaming part of the mummy's expression wasn't due to the manner of his
demise, but the position of the remains. In fact, screaming mummies can be
found all over the world, from Sicily to Peru - one museum in Mexico
even boasts over 111 artifacts. Other
Egyptian mummies also share the same
expression on their faces.
As the
joints holding the jaw in place slacken, their jaws gape open as rigor
mortis sets in, leaving behind a horrific expression.
8-
Some Scholars Speculate He Was A Hittite Prince
There's
no way of making a 100% identification of Unknown Man E
with Pentawere. But if he wasn't an Egyptian prince, then, who might he
have been?
There
is a theory that perhaps the mummy was once a Hittite prince who was traveling to Egypt to
marry King Tut's widow. The prince expired under mysterious conditions and
scholars are unaware of his whereabouts. However, scholars have debunked this theory, based on the fact that a man
who mysteriously disappeared wouldn't get mummified.
Another
theory suggests he was an important Egyptian person who perished
abroad and only got partially mummified because those around him didn't have
access to proper techniques.
9-
A Famous Archaeologist Discovered Him In 1886, But He Only
Got Popular Recently
Famous
Egyptologist Gaston Maspero discovered the Screaming Mummy in a royal
tomb in 1886, but it was only in recent years that "Unknown Man
E" became a tourist attraction. The possibly grim nature of his demise
and the expression on his face draw in audiences with a morbid curiosity.
Scholars have puzzled over the way he passed for years, but recent display
in a museum have the figure national attention.
10- The Screaming Mummy
Brought In Over 20,000 Visitors To The Egyptian Museum
Once
the Screaming Mummy made its debut at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo,
it proved a popular attraction. The museum director noted that the mummy, once abandoned in
the basement, brought in over 20,000 visitors to the museum. These guests were
both Egyptian and foreign visitors; it also received international press coverage,
drawing attention from around the world.
11- During The Egyptian
Uprising In 2011, He Was One Of The Few Mummies Protestors Left Alone
When
the Egyptian revolution of 2011 rocked the northeastern African nation, much of
its cultural heritage came under fire. In particular, the Egyptian Museum in
Cairo suffered a number of losses. Dr. Zahi Hawass reported that
many priceless artifacts disappeared and two mummies were wrecked. However, looters left the Screaming Mummy alone.
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