Why Did She Scream? Scientists Unveil New Insights Into Mysterious 2,500-Year-Old Screaming Mummy

The Screaming Woman, a well-preserved mummy found in Egypt, was embalmed with imported materials and analyzed using modern scientific methods. The research indicated unusual mummification practices and suggested her screaming expression might have been caused by a cadaveric spasm. Credit: Sahar Saleem

Scientific analysis of the Screaming Woman mummy showed she was embalmed with expensive materials and maintained her internal organs, challenging typical mummification norms. Her expression could be due to a death in extreme pain.

In 1935, the Metropolitan Museum of New York led an archaeological expedition to Egypt. In Deir Elbahari near Luxor, the site of ancient Thebes, they excavated the tomb of Senmut, the architect and overseer of royal works – and reputedly, lover – of the famed queen Hatschepsut (1479-1458 BCE). Beneath Senmut’s tomb, they found a separate burial chamber for his mother Hat-Nufer, and other relatives whose identities remain known.