Naslov
Scenes from the Past : CT-Guided Endoscopic Recovery of a Foreign Object from the Cranial Cavity of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy

Autori
Čavka, Mislav ; Petaros, Anja ; Boščić, Drago ; Kavur, Lovro ; Janković, Ivor ; Despot, Radovan ; Trajković, Jelena ; Brkljačić, Boris

Izvornik
Radiographics (0271-5333) 32 (2012), 7; 2151-2157

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
mummies; paleradiology; CT; endoscopy; Croatia; Ancient Egypt

Sažetak
The aim of this study was to test, for the first time, the value of CT-guided endoscopy in the scientific study of mummified remains and the recovery of unidentified objects from ancient mummified remains. CT-guided endoscopy was performed on an Egyptian mummy from the Later Period to help retrieve an unidentified object from the skull of the mummy. The combined use of CT and endoscopy facilitated the recovery of the object, minimizing further damage to the remains and to the object itself. The successful recovery of the brittle object allowed detailed analysis of the item to be performed in an attempt to determine the nature of its presence in the cranial cavity. It was confirmed that the object was a monocotyledon stem stick. Relying on the existing literature on mummification and excerebration methods in ancient Egypt, we concluded that the stick was probably used for transnasal removal of the brain. The results of this study demonstrate the great potential of CT-guided endoscopy for minimally invasive recovery of small unidentified items from mummies that could yield important information about mummification procedures and the materials used to preserve bodies.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Arheologija, Etnologija i antropologija

POVEZANOST RADA