Full-Scale Imaging of Egyptian Pharoah Amenhotep I Face Shown for the First Time After 3,000 Years Through CT Scan

A new study was able to record the full-scale image of a mummified pharaoh. The subject, known as Amenhotep I, was covered in ancient Egypt for the past 3,000 years. Since his death, the remains of the pharaoh stayed mummified and were surrounded by flower garlands and specialized tomb designs.

Because of the art and preservation relayed to the pharaoh's body, many researchers became hesitant to open the coffin. But due to the limiting factor, many studies intersecting with Amenhotep I had been meeting dead ends.

Hidden Appearance of Amenhotep I Revealed Through CT

EGYPT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PARADE — The (C) float carrying the mummy of Pharaoh Amenhotep I (15251504 BC) advances as part of the parade of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies departing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square on April 3, 2021, on their way to their new resting place at the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC) about seven kilometres south in historic Fustat (Old Cairo). - Dubbed the Pharaohs' Golden Parade, the 18 kings and four queens will travel in order, oldest first, each aboard a separate float decorated in ancient Egyptian style. MAHMOUD KHALED/AFP via Getty Images

With that said, the new research unwrapped the body of the Egyptian pharaoh, not physically but digitally, through an advanced imaging technique known as computed tomography or CT scanning. Through the unorthodox examination approach of the ancient body, the experts were able to gather information and exquisite captures without ripping off the ornaments bound to the remains.

Amenhotep I was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt who belonged to a group filled with more mystery. This is because the said pharaoh is still hidden intact on his coffin. Since his burial 3,000 years ago, Amenhotep I's remains were mummified and kept in the same manner until today. Due to centuries of being concealed, his face and physical features remained in the imagination of historians.

According to a report by NewScientist, the coffin of Amenhotep I has been preserved so well that it can be considered a time capsule of the royal mummies in Egypt's New Kingdom.

The new study revealed the first-ever imaging of Amenhotep I's body through a couple of CT scans. According to the findings, the king's height scaled to 5.5 feet or 169 centimeters, has a complete collection of good teeth, and had his genitals circumcised.

Amenhotep I passed away when he was only 35 years old. The pharaoh ruled the ancient Egyptian civilization for a considerable amount of time and maintained his seat of power between 1525 BC to 1504 BC.

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Preserved Body and Mystical Treasures Inside Amenhotep I's Coffin

Under the mummified body of the pharaoh, there were 30 amulets found. Cairo University's Department of Radiology expert and author of the study Sahar Saleem said in a EurekAlert report that the treasures buried beneath Amenhotep I are found with a separate value that is believed to be a girdle made from gold. The expert added that the material was also attached with a pattern of golden objects specified as decorative beads.

Antiquities of Egypt expert and the paper's co-author Zahi Hawass said in a Live Science report that the treasures embedded with the remains of Amenhotep I have significance in the ancient tradition of the civilization. The amulets are theorized to serve as an 'afterlife pass' for the pharaoh, while the girdle is composed of magical functions.

The mummy of Amenhotep I was first discovered back in 1881 alongside numerous Ehyprtian remains on a tomb located in Thebes, better known as modern-day Luxor. Experts believe that the king was already displaced from its original burial grounds, as hints were pointing to a tomb robbery between 1070 BC and 945 BC.

The reign of Amenhotep I during his life marked the rule of the 18th dynasty of royal pharaohs. The Egyptian leader was able to develop the ancient civilization with new infrastructures and other programs. Among the most notable achievements of Amenhotep I was the expansion of ancient Egypt's power to Sudan. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, titled "Digital Unwrapping of the Mummy of King Amenhotep I (1525-1504 BC) Using CT."