SCIENTISTS have provided a first look at the “innocent” face of a 2,300-year-old elite Egyptian mummy.
Minirdis, who was the scion of a holy family, also left boffins baffled after they made a surprise discovery on the size of his brain.
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Prior to his death, Minirdis was set to inherit the job of his father, Inaros – a priest of the Egyptian fertility god, Min.
But he died around age 14 and his mummified remains were interred in Akhmim cemetery, Upper Egypt, until they were found in 1925.
Now, some 2,300 years after his death, scientists trying to rebuild his face have diagnosed the teen with a rare medical condition.
Cicero Moraes, lead author of the upcoming study, said Minirdis had megalencephaly – a disorder characterised by an abnormally large brain.
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He said: “Something bothered me about the structure and, when studying the skull volume values, we were impressed by its size.
“I noticed that the coffin seems to be for a person older than the mummy, but even so, the head takes up almost the entire length of it.
“Therefore, the death mask had been rotated, otherwise it would not have been possible to close the coffin.”
Mr Moraes added that the head circumference must be above 2.5 standard deviations for the individuals age and sex to be considered megalencephalic.
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“In this case, head circumference and brain volume are three standard deviations above,” he said.
Despite his diagnosis, however, his cause of death remains mysterious.
Megalencephaly can be benign, but it can also cause developmental delays, intellectual disability, seizures and even paralysis.
Nonetheless, Minirdis’ likeness was rebuilt using a digitised model of his skull, to which soft tissue was added, while the process was guided by data from living people – including the relevant age group.
Additionally, the skull and skin structure of a donor were virtually recreated, and then deformed until they matched the dimensions of Minirdis, revealing his true face.
Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert, said: “It is a young and innocent face.
“The eyes from thousands of years ago observe the people of the present that are searching for answers about their past.”
The names of the mummy and his father are known due to an inscription on the coffin.
Moraes said the teenager would have led a gilded life.
He said: “It is clear that his life was potentially full of material and spiritual abundance, since his father was part of the religious elite.”
Today, Minirdis’ remains are in the collection of Chicago’s Field Museum.
Moraes and his co-authors, Francesco Maria Galassi and Michael Habicht, are awaiting academic formalisation before they publish their study.
What is Megalencephaly?
What is megalencephaly?
Megalencephaly is a rare medical condition involving an abnormally large, heavy, and usually malfunctioning brain.
It is associated with infants and children.
By definition, the brain weight is greater than average – more than 2.5 standard deviations – for the age and gender of the child.
What are the symptoms of megalencephaly?
Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Megalencephaly can be benign, meaning you may have no symptoms.
However, it can also cause developmental delays, intellectual disability, seizures and even paralysis.
What causes megalencephaly?
Megalencephaly occurs when your brain produces too many new brain cells or cells that are too large.
It can also occur when metabolic byproducts and matter build up in your brain.
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