engleski

From paleoradiology to paleoimaging - comparing X ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance ultra-short-echo-time sequence imaging techniques in the study of ancient mummies

Paleoradiological examination of ancient bones and mummified tissues is becoming increasingly important for the study of human remains, especially with regard to ancient pathologies. A number of significant discoveries have marked the history of the scientific study of mummies. Among the most important was the discovery of X-rays in 1895, which was immediately followed by its application to the scientific study of mummies. Another important step forward occurred in the late seventies, when the discovery of computed tomography was first applied to mummified corpses. In 2007 a new imaging approach for the analysis of dry mummified tissue was developed by Rühli et al. – the MRI ultra-short-echo-time (UTE) sequence. This discovery opened a new chapter in the paleoradiological examination of mummies. The aim of this study is to compare the three imaging techniques (their advantages and limitations in the study of mummified corpses), and to present our experience with the paleoradiological use of MRI-UTE sequence. The study was used to evaluate various soft and hard tissue landmarks and artefacts in 12 mummified parts and 4 complete mummified corpses curated in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia. In addition, the newly gained images were compared with conventional radiographs of the same mummies taken at the beginning of the nineties, to assess whether the new investigation has led to novel insights and/or disproved previous conclusions. Besides demonstrating the possibility of gaining satisfactory MRI images from different samples of dry mummified tissue, this study pointed out the importance of concomitant use and proper selection of radiological methods with respect to the elements that are to be visualized. In conclusion, the significant differences detected between the first X-ray studies and the new X- ray/CT/MRI investigation indicate the need to verify the results of previous studies and to complement them with the capabilities of novel techniques.

mummy; paleoradiology; CT; X-ray; UTE-sequence; Egypt

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