Egypt digitally unwraps mummy of King Amenhotep in 'important milestone'

LONDON - CAIRO -- Modern technology helped scientists to unwrap the mystery of the 3,500-year-old Egyptian mummy in what a renowned Egyptologist called an “important milestone.”

The mummy from Amenhotep I, the ruler of Egypt from 1525 to 1504 B.C., was discovered in 1881 in the ancient city of Thebes -- modern-day Luxor — located on the east bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt. During the 16th–11th centuries B.C. the city served as the pharaohs’ capital at the height of their power.

The mummy had remained untouched since it was discovered though, simply because archaeologists believed it was too perfectly preserved to risk causing any damage to it. The remains are covered with a funerary mask and garlands of colorful flowers.

But Egyptian scientists were able to use non-invasive, three-dimensional computerized tomography (CT) scanning to reveal the secrets of Amenhotep I.