| Minirdis Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Minirdis |
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Male |
| Status | Son of Stolist Priest Inaros |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Unknown |
| Date(s) | 500 BC |
| Site | Akhmim, located about 300 miles south of Cairo on the Nile |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Chicago’s Field Museum |
| Catalog # | Unknown |
Minirdis, son of Inaros, a priest of fertility god Min, died about 500 BC and was excavated from the Akhmim cemetery on the east bank of the Nile about 130 miles north of Luxor in Upper Egypt. As a stolist priest, Inaros was responsible for the ritual washing and dressing of Min’s statue. The position was hereditary, so if Minirdis had lived, he would have inherited the job after his father died. Akhmim was one of ancient Egypt’s greatest cities and an important center of worship of Min.
His coffin yielded a gold-painted, lavishly decorated sarcophagus was acquired by Chicago’s Field Museum in 1925 from the Chicago Historical Society.
Mummification[]
The burial mask and the blackened toes are the only visible part of the mummy. The rest of the teenage body remained wrapped in a yellowing embalming cloth.
Studies[]
Reconstruction image:Cicero Moraes
Painted in gold on the inside of the coffin was a depiction of the Goddess Nut that had been unsuspected until the coffin was opened. Further tests included 3D imaging, stable isotope testing, and DNA analysis. CT scans showed the mummy's feet were detached and partially unwrapped with the toes exposed. The shroud and the cartonnage mask and panels had been dragged down to the left side, and the mask had rotated, and been partly crushed.
Some time after the mummy was wrapped, it had slid down the coffin - perhaps someone tried to stand the coffin upright - causing damage. The mummy’s legs had broken at the knees and the feet had fallen off. One of his heel bones had come off and had moved up and under his legs, pinning them up against the lid of the coffin.
Pathology[]
In 2011 CT scans showed that the mummy was that of a boy of about 14 years of age. He had been well nourished, seemingly healthy, with no injuries or disease that could be detected. Why Minirdis died so young is unknown.
One unconfirmed theory is that the teen had megalencephaly, a rare medical condition characterized by an unusually large brain. Megalencephaly can be benign, but it is also associated with developmental delays, intellectual disability, seizures, and even paralysis.
References[]
http://www.seeker.com/2500-year-old-mummy-of-teenage-boy-revealed-1769363054.html?slide=YfDjJi