| Lady Chenet-aa Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Chenet-aa |
| Age | ~35-45 years |
| Sex | F |
| Status | elite |
| Height | |
| Source | |
| Culture | Egyptian |
| Date(s) | Third Intermediate Period |
| Site | Egypt |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Chicago Field Museum |
| Catalog # | |
Lady Chenet-aa lived during the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt, during the 22nd Dynasty, making her remains about 3,000 years old.
Chenet-aa's cartonnage has been a puzzle since its discovery; with no visible seam and only a small opening at the feet, there seemed to be no point of entry for Chenet-aa’s body to have been placed in her cartonnage creating a sort of locked-mummy mystery. In October 2024 CT scans revealed that apparently the mummy was stood upright and then the cartonnage coffin was softened with humidity to the point it was flexible enough to mold around the body. Then a slit was made up the back from head to foot, it was opened up, lowered down over the wrapped body, and closed again. Once it had been laced down the back, a wood panel was put in at the feet and then pegged in place to keep everything together.
Studies[]
Scientists can place her in her late 30s or early 40s at the time of her death. The loss of several teeth and significant wear on the remaining teeth was evident,suggesting a diet that may have included sand contaminated food, contributing to dental erosion.
Scans also revealed that the body had supplementary eyes placed in the eye sockets.