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Date: 3 November 2010
BU biological anthropologists uncover the truth behind a preserved head found in a witchcraft museum in Cornwall.
Bournemouth University (BU) biological anthropologists have revealed a preserved head found in a witch craft museum in Cornwall is not that of a medieval execution victim as the owners believed, but is the head of an Egyptian mummy.
Dr Martin Smith, a lecturer in Forensic and Biological Anthropology at BU, said: “I was highly intrigued to discover the head. Human remains with preserved soft-tissue are really very rare in Northern Europe. If the head was Medieval as claimed this would make it an extremely important survival. Consequently I was very pleased that the Museum's curators were prepared to allow us to borrow the skull in order to try to find out more about it.”
A combination of CT scanning, radiocarbon dating, microscopic and chemical analysis revealed the bone, teeth and tissue were actually that of an Egyptian mummy from 360-110BC.
Dr Smith described the process that led to these conclusions: “The story that this was a medieval execution victim just didn't hold up under scrutiny. Firstly the cloth wrappings around the head are a simple weave gauze of the kind seen on mummy wrappings. More conclusively however, the brain has been removed from the skull. Close inspection of the delicate structures inside the nose revealed that these have been broken in order to extract the brain. This is quite standard in Egyptian mummification.”
In addition, a CT scan revealed that material inside the skull was a tar-like substance. When mummifying the dead, Egyptians poured resin into the cranial cavity after the brain had been removed. Further chemical analysis showed the resin was derived from tree sap, which again fits with Egyptian techniques.
It is thought the head belonged to a middle class ancient Egyptian woman, probably aged 35-50, who would have shaved her head so that she could wear wigs. It was probably brought back to Britain by a Victorian collector.
Dr Smith concluded: “It’s been a fascinating journey uncovering the true story of the head. Biological Anthropology is so interesting because it encompasses the study of the human species from its very beginnings, way back in evolution, right up to modern times. It is about the way our environment, biology and culture all interact to affect each.”
Full details of Dr Smith’s research will be published next year.
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