Mummy Murder Mystery Deepens After Scans

Amazing new pictures have been released of attempts to unravel a 1,700-year-old murder mystery.

But even state-of-the-art 21st century techniques have been foiled by the case.

Three Egyptian mummies from Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery were scanned in a quest for more information on the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Museum staff wanted to learn more about a 'metallic' object in the neck of a Graeco-Roman mummy, discovered on x-rays in 1995, with suggestions it may have been an arrow-head.

Instead, the scans have revealed the object is in fact one of three or four fragments - probably metal - lodged in the base of the skull.

So the mystery remains.

The scans were arranged by Bob Loynes, previously an orthopaedic consultant at Mid-Staffs Hospital, and a keen Egyptologist.

In the past, it has been necessary to unwrap mummies to carry out investigations, but this risky process can now be avoided.

Mr Loynes said: "The opportunity to help with the further investigation of these mummies was a very exciting one for me.

"The CT Scans have shown amazing details, which have produced as many questions as they have given answers."

Scans of the second mummy, that of Padimut, priest of the goddess Mut and probably of the 21st Dynasty (1085-935 BC), showed evidence of high quality mummification - including removal of the brain and plates in front of the eyes.