No other artifact blurs the line between history and horror quite like Egypt’s Screaming Mummy. In 2018, the Screaming Mummy was temporarily put on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, drawing renewed attention due to its unsettling appearance and the dramatic story behind it.
The ancient mummy belongs to Prince Pentawere, who tried to murder his own father, Pharaoh Ramesses III, in 1155 B.C. Ramesses III was one of the last great rulers of the New Kingdom. He ruled for 31 years. After being put on trial for the murder attempt, Pentawere took his own life.
His mummy is known as the Screaming Mummy because his mouth is open, and his facial muscles are strained, which makes him appear to be screaming. It’s like a moment of agony preserved for all eternity.
Unlike most royal mummies, Pentawere’s burial was anything but dignified. His mummy was not properly mummified with embalming fluid.
His body was wrapped in sheepskin, a material thought to be ritually impure, placed in a tomb with other mummies at Deir el-Bahari, and was left to decompose naturally.
The full story of the assassination was vague for years. Then, in 2012, a research team analyzing the mummy of Ramesses III found that the pharaoh had died when his throat was slashed.
So, Pentawere’s assassination attempt was successful after all. The researchers confirmed through DNA testing that the Screaming Mummy was the son of Ramesses III.
A manuscript called the Judicial Papyrus of Turin documented the trials that took place following the assassination of Ramesses III.
The pharaoh’s successor, Ramesses IV, condemned a number of people involved in the murder plot to death or mutilation. These people included high-ranking military and civil officials, women in the royal harem, and men in charge of the royal harem.
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According to the papyrus, Prince Pentawere’s mother, Tiye, allegedly aided in the plot. She conspired with the women of the harem.
The goal was likely to place Pentawere on the throne and bypass the established line of succession.
Instead, Pentawere was placed on trial and found guilty. Historical records suggest that he was given the choice, or perhaps ordered, to take his own life.
It’s unclear exactly how Pentawere took his own life. Scholars believe that hanging, poisoning, or a combination of both were the most likely methods. His dishonorable burial reflects the severity of his crime and betrayal.
Originally, Pharaoh Ramesses III was laid to rest in a tomb in the Valley of Kings, but after his tomb was robbed, his mummy was moved to the same burial place at Deir el-Bahari as Pentawere.
The father and son remained buried together until the 19th century, when a man named Abd el-Rassul finally found the mummy cache.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
