The discovery of an Egyptian mummy often led to curiosity. Everyone always wanted to know what was beneath the wrappings. Many times mummies were opened in front of large audiences. This became a sold-out admission event each time. As a result, many of Egypt’s mummies were destroyed by such events. Mummies were examined by cutting through the linen wrappings and exposing the body. Unfortunately, many mummies and much scientific evidence was destroyed in this manner. This information would have helped modern man understand the Ancient Egyptian daily life and mummification process of yesteryear.

The Champollion brothers recorded one of the earliest examinations of the unwrapping of a mummy. The mummy was from the Ptolemaic Period and was in great condition before the examination. After recording their findings, the brothers rewrapped the mummy with its arms crossed. This caused strain on the bones. As a result the outcome was the loss of its feet and severe deterioration around the chest and arms. Destroyed and in ruins, the mummy was unable to be repaired and now rests in a French museum, the Musee des Beaux Arts. Another example was the discovery of the Royal Cache which were royal mummies hidden by ancient priests and found in Deir el-Bahri. After the mummies were brought to the museum, reports stated that the mummies were unwrapped after thirty minutes of arrival. No logs or data were recorded about the mummies wrappings or the state of the bandages surrounding the bodies. The main focus was the faces of the pharaohs and queens.

As modern times approached, so does technology. Now there are many ways to examine people of the Ancient world without destroying their bodies or the wrappings that surround them. Tools such as X-rays and CAT scans allow scholars to study bone structures and the wrapping of the mummy. X-rays technology was not permitted until 1967 when a group of scholars from the University of Michigan wanted to x-ray the Royal mummies of Cairo. Backing them up in their search to find answers, Alexandria University and the United States Health Service, they studied the ages and causes of death, which questioned many of the mummies identification. Another promising technology is CAT scanning. This technology allows scientist to study the body without disturbing its contents and allows scholars to see things exactly as they were left 2000 years ago. By taking pictures of the body in layers, soft tissue such as the organs can now be seen untouched and altered. One great advantage is that several digital images combined together can recreate the body in 3D. This allows clear viewing of what lies beneath the wrappings and shows facial features clearly.

Although X-rays and CAT scans prove to be a positive tool in researching these ancient packages, so does small amounts of tissue and samples. Small samples of tissue removed from the body are hydrated, which is still a difficult procedure and is analyzed for further information. Other samples removed around the body, things such as linen, dust particles, plaster, can be carbon dated, allowing scientist to justify time periods, dates and time eras. This accurate dating system allows scholars to compare current information and put identities and dates to bodies.

Bones and teeth remain an important factor of deciphering the life of a mummy. Through bones and teeth an individual’s age and cause of death can be predicted. The age of children and adolescents is determined more easily due to the growth in the bones and the epiphyses, which are layers that develop joints as a child grows. The layers help scholars to identify the body’s age until 25, when all the layers combine together. Bones also reveal evidence of the quality of life. Bones also reveal certain diseases and fractures that an individual may have had throughout their lives. Another factor used in identifying and analyzing mummies is the teeth. Teeth also help determine age. Deciduous teeth are found in small children, while young adults have teeth that are grinded down due to Ancient Egyptian diet. If signs of wisdom teeth are shown protruding through the gums, the age is estimated to be in the early 20’s. Examination though teeth is often difficult and must be based on a group of mummies that also lived in the same environment that can easily be compared to the others. Both these methods are only estimates to age and often give scholars only ideas of age ranges and environment hardships.