North Haven, January 15: Researchers who examined an Egyptian mummy with the latest imaging technology say they found no evidence that a packet inside her was an offering to the gods of the ancient world.
Tests in 2006 led to speculation that the packet was a bird mummy, but high-resolution tests on Thursday at Quinnipiac University showed no remnants of a bird. Instead, researchers said the packet and a few others in the mummy likely contained organs.
The mummy is known as Pa-Ib and believed to be about 4 000 years old. It has been in the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport since the 1890s and was a prized exhibit of the flamboyant showman PT Barnum.
Researchers said her joints were in good shape, leading them to believe she did not do a lot of manual labour. Her teeth were worn, suggesting she was not royalty.
—Agencies