A new research rejects that the famous mummy was pregnant and had signs of cancer, accusing the authors of the original 2021 study of sensationalism.
An academic dispute arose around the “mysterious lady”, an old Egyptian mummy kept at the National Warsaw Museum. A new one published in the magazine Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences disputes controversial allegation that the woman was pregnant At the time of his death and may have died of cancer, arguing, instead, that the original researchers have sensationalized their discoveries without enough evidence.
The mummy, which was brought to Poland in early 1800, was news in 2021 as researchers of the Warsaw Mummy project said it contained a 26 to 30 weeks fetal. They later suggested that a skull emptiness was proof that it could have caused the woman’s death. These allegations raised great attention from the media, including ZAP, but the most recent investigation rejects them now as unfounded.
According to the new study, the alleged fetus is actually EMBALSAMAMENT MATERIALcarefully placed in the pelvic zone by old embalms. Researchers also dispute the diagnosis of cancer, attributing the cranial lesions to a Incorrect brain removal during mummification.
To verify their conclusions, they sent the original tomography to 10 independent experts in Mummary Radiology, excluding the expert involved in the investigation of the Mummy of Warsaw Project. All 10 reviewers unanimously agreed that There was no evidence of a fetusand none of them supported the original allegation. In addition, none of the experts found definitive signs of cancer, explains the.
One of the authors of the study, an expert in paleoradiology and fetal imaging, had already pointed out Lack of a fetal skeleton. Researchers of the Warsaw Mummy project argued that the bones had dissolved in acidic conditions after death. However, the new study rejects this explanation, stating that the supposed fetus is only embalming material.
In response to these criticisms, Wojciech Ejsmond and Marzena Ożarek-Szilke, from the Mummy of Warsaw Project, defended their findings, stating that they are aware that “There is no consensus among experts“. However, they insist that the pregnancy hypothesis “was discussed with gynecologists and obstetricians who supported it, making it a legitimate hypothesis.”
Similarly, the authors defended the hypothesis of cancer, noting that their conclusions were supported by a medical expertbut stressing that it remains a work theory.
