History is interesting and important. Interesting because there are new discoveries being made it seems daily and important because it can help us see where were, how we go here, and how far we have come. Some say they hate history, usually, that means that they hate their own history. We all have pasts and things that have happened that we’re not proud of. But if we learn from it and move forward, then it really can just remain history. Sometimes history can reveal some shocking secrets, like this one about a mummy that was recently opened up and found a 20-week fetus inside the womb, perfectly preserved.
Archaeologists Marzena Ożarek-Szilke, Univerity of Warsaw, and Woljclech Ejsmond, Polish Academy of Sciences, were gathering research for a new exhibit when they made the discovery. They describe the process of how the fetus was preserved and how they could make the discovery 2,000+ years later:
“The foetus remained in the untouched uterus and began to, let say, ‘pickle’. It is not the most aesthetic comparison, but conveys the idea. Blood pH in corpses, including content of the uterus, falls significantly, becoming more acidic, concentrations of ammonia and formic acid increase with time. The placement and filling of the body with natron significantly limited the access of air and oxygen.”
Marzena Ożarek-Szilke and Woljclech Ejsmond
An Amazing Yet Sad Discovery
The archaeologists further explain the process and how bones did play a factor in making this discovery even though the bones of the fetus were hardly there, given it was only 20 weeks.
“The change from alkaline to acidic environment led to partial decomposition of the foetal bones, especially to washing out minerals – of which there was not much anyway, because mineralisation is very weak during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and accelerates later. It is still difficult to draw any conclusions as we do not know if this is the only pregnant mummy. For now, it is definitely the only known pregnant Egyptian mummy.”
Marzena Ożarek-Szilke and Woljclech Ejsmond
This mummy, for right now, is the only pregnant one that is known about. But she is probably not the only one who is/was. It’s sad to think that many lives were lost before they even had a chance to live. That is how life goes though sometimes, gone too soon.
Pregnant mummy got your attention? What about a mummy talking 3,000 years after death!
