However, in the case of the mummy dubbed as the Mysterious Lady, no trace of bones remains. The foetus was difficult to spot because the normal way to see it is to look for tell-tale bones that are mineralised during the mummification process.

However, the internal organs of the Egyptian woman were pulled out. He added that the process was similar to the “gherkin in a barrel effect”.įor reasons that still baffle the team the foetus was not taken out of the uterus during mummification. The foetus, however, remained in the uterus and began to ‘pickle’ in the acidic environment.” It is true that you can see, for example, hands or feet, but these are not bones, but dried tissues.” Warsaw Mummy ProjectĪnthropologist, archaeologist and co-director of the Warsaw Mummy Project Marzena Ożarek-Szilke said: “During the mummification process, the deceased was covered with natron, or natural soda, which was intended to dry the body. Publishing their findings in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the researchers explained that it was ‘pickled’ in an acidic environment in a process similar to how ancient bodies in swamps are preserved.ĭescribing the process as similar to the “gherkin in a barrel effect”, Ożarek-Szilke said this explained “why we can hardly see any foetal bones on CT images. Now, the scientists have taken a close look at the foetus and how it survived to our time. The mummy was previously thought to be the remains of the priest Hor-Jehuti, until it was discovered in 2016 to be an embalmed woman.Ī closer examination using tomographic imaging revealed that the woman was between 20-30 years old when she died and was in her 26th to 30th week of her pregnancy. The foetus, however, remained in the uterus and began to ‘pickle’ in the acidic environment.” Warsaw Mummy Project In April 2021, the Warsaw Mummy Project at the University of Warsaw revealed to the world the first known case of a pregnant Ancient Egyptian mummy.Īnthropologist, archaeologist and co-director of the Warsaw Mummy Project Marzena Ożarek-Szilke (pictured) said: “During the mummification process, the deceased was covered with natron, or natural soda, which was intended to dry the body. Scientists working on the world’s first known pregnant mummy have discovered that the embalmed foetus managed to survive for 2,000 years up to today by a process similar to making pickled gherkins. Scientists at the Warsaw Mummy Project discovered the foetus was covered with natron, a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate, to dry the body and began to “pickle” in an acidic environment.

Natron mummy