The Head Of A Wealthy Egyptian Mummy Mysteriously Ended Up In This High School Library

Ralf - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
Ralf - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Since 1915, the mummified head of an ancient Egyptian woman has been stored in a high school library in Australia.

To this day, the circumstances under which the artifact appeared are unclear. Recently, researchers have reconstructed the mummy’s face.

The mummified head first arrived at Grafton High School after it was donated by a local doctor named T.J. Henry in 1915.

The head came with a note dated July 1860. It explained that Henry bought the artifact in the late 1800s while studying medicine in Edinburgh. The note also estimated that the head was over 2,000-years-old.

However, there are differing opinions about its origins. Some experts believe that it was actually donated by Grafton Elliot Smith, an anatomist and one of the most well-known Egyptologists of the 20th century.

Either way, the head has stirred up a lot of controversy at the high school. Many people thought the school should continue to take care of it, while others wanted the display gone.

The head is not wrapped up in bandages, so anyone can see that it’s blackened and cracked, with wisps of light orange hair still visible.

The mouth is slightly parted, revealing a few teeth. Someone had also rubbed gold flakes in the spots where the eyes used to be.

For over a century, the mummy’s age and gender were unknown. But then, researchers from Australian and Italian universities conducted an analysis of the head and discovered that it belonged to a woman in her 50s.

Ralf – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

She likely lived during the Greco-Roman period of Egypt, which took place between 332 B.C.E. and 395 C.E.

During this time, gold leaf was often used in the mummification process. According to Janet Davy, a forensic Egyptologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, the ancient woman was probably wealthy.

Researchers created a three-dimensional model of the woman’s skull. The eyes were sculpted first, along with markers for tissue depth and musculature.

After determining the shape of the mummy’s mouth, the skin, hair, and jewelry were added. Finally, it was coated in a bronze-colored resin.

It is hoped that the sculpture will bring interest not just to the mummy itself but to the woman’s story as well. The head and reconstruction will be displayed together.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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