November 28, 2017

Researchers use advanced technology to study child mummy

Researchers use advanced technology to study child mummy
In this Nov. 27, 2017 photo, Argonne X-ray scientist Jonathan Almer, left, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine professor Stuart Stock, right, prepare to use high-energy X-ray beams to learn more about the 1,800-year-old mummified remains believed to be a 5-year-old girl in Lemont, Ill. Researchers from Northwestern and Argonne National Laboratory are using advanced technology to unwrap the mysteries of the mummy. They say high-energy beams from a synchrotron will provide molecular information about what is inside. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Researchers from Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago are using advanced technology to unwrap the mysteries of an 1,800-year-old mummy.

They say the high-energy X-ray beams from a synchrotron will provide molecular information about what is inside the mummy of the little girl. Argonne says it's the first time the beams have been used in this way.

Researchers say the technology allows them to study what's inside the mummy while leaving the 5-year-old girl's remains and wrappings intact.

Scientists examined the rare find on Monday in the hopes of learning more about how the girl died. And they say studying the wrapping materials may shed new light on ancient Egyptian culture.

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Citation: Researchers use advanced technology to study child mummy (2017, November 28) retrieved 22 March 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2017-11-advanced-technology-child-mummy.html
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