| Annie Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Annie |
| Age | 17 |
| Sex | Female |
| Status | Possibly priestess/noble |
| Height | 4'11" |
| Source | |
| Culture | Ancient Egyptian |
| Date(s) | 200 B.C. |
| Site | Akhmīm, Upper Egypt |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Catalog # | ANSP 1903.1A |
The familiar designation of Annie for this mummy was derived from the its home museum, Academy of Natural Science at Drexel University.
The cartouche area on the case that would normally be used to identify the mummy was left blank, giving no indication as to the actual identity of the mummy.
The name "Annie" comes from "anonymous." The mummy remains unidentified.
Mummification[]
The mummy had been buried in a red shroud which was commonly associated with priestly burials during the time. As well, her cartonnage burial mask featured a gold leaf which added to the idea that she was granted a sacred burial and preservation.
Studies[]
The cartonnage case around the feet of the mummy revealed that she had been stored upright for some time as the sandals and the case itself had suffered some damage. Repairs were made to the straps of the cartonnage and the nose of her face mask.
Facial reconstruction of the mummy known as Annie
Pathology[]
Based on CT scans of the mummy, it is speculated that Annie may have drowned in the Nile. She was probably given special treatment, because the river was sacred. It is believed that the 16 or 17-year-old drowned approximately 2,300 years ago. From analysis, scientists suggest that her body must have been in the water for quite some time as there was some decomposition that happened prior to undergoing the mummification process. CT scans showed a missing kneecap and displacement of vertebrae.
Additional[]
In the late 1800s, the Egyptian government sold several mummies from Akhmim to help fund the country's antiquities service. Is believed that during this time this mummy was sold to someone from North America who then imported the mummy. In 1903, the Academy of Natural Sciences gained possession of the mummy, but it languished in storage until the 1970s. Since 2009, Mimi Leveque, a conservator at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts, has been working as a part of a conservation team to prepare Annie for a traveling exhibit, called “Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science.”
Scientists believe she drowned in the sacred Nile, “so they gave this anonymous young woman a decent burial… In the Egyptian religion, they believed that if you died in the Nile, you were sacred, and so you needed to be properly preserved. So we’re speculating that’s what happened to her.”
References[]
"Ancient Egyptian Mummy Unveiled At Museum Of Discovery And Science". Miami.cbslocal.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
"Mummy Of A Teenage Girl A Highlight Of ‘Lost Egypt’ Exhibit Opening This Weekend At The Northwest Museum Of Arts And Culture". Spokesman.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
"Museum of Discovery and Science Welcomes Traveling Egyptian Exhibit, Featuring “Annie” the Mummy and Her 3D Printed Skeleton" https://3dprint.com/163781/annie-the-mummy-3d-print-skeleton/
"Egypt Azsci Mummy". Raisingarizonakids.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.