It took 2,600 years for the cause of Takabuti’s death to be answered. Takabuti (in his 20s) is a young, curly-haired woman in Thebes (now Luxor). After the Napoleonic War, her mummy was stolen.
Die of a knife
The cause of Takabuti’s death was revealed to be a knife attack, researchers from the University of Manchester (UK) announced on January 27, on the 185th anniversary of the opening of the mummified cloth (1835). , Live Science reported.
Analyzing the mummy’s DNA, two mysteries related to Takabuti were gradually revealed. This person has an extra tooth (33 instead of 32 like the others) and has an extra vertebra.
In 1834, after many times of being trafficked, Takabuti’s remains were bought and brought by Thomas Rich, a wealthy Irish man, from Egypt to Belfast. Takabuti was the first Egyptian mummy brought to Ireland.
At that time, Egyptologist Edward Hincks deciphered the hieroglyphs surrounding the mummy, according to Stair na hÉireann - a detailed information page on history in Ireland.
Hincks discovered the remains named Takabuti. At the time of her death (beyond the age of 20), she was married and a mistress in an upper class family in Thebes. The Hincks translation also revealed that Takabuti’s father was a monk worshiping the sun God Amun.
"Since the first mummified cloth was opened in 1835, a rich history has been evoked," said Greer Ramsey, archaeological gallery manager of the National Museum of Northern Ireland.
In recent years, Takabuti has undergone X-ray scans, CT scans, hair analysis and dating by reaction with a carbon isotope. The results show that she lived around 600 BC, at the end of the 25th dynasty.
Many mysteries waiting for answers
Recently, archaeologists continue to analyze DNA and CT scan of Takabuti’s remains. The results show surprises. DNA analysis proves that Takabuti is more genetically similar to Europeans than modern Egyptians.
CT scans show that the heart is still intact and incredibly preserved. CT scans also revealed the cause of Takabuti’s death. Young girl suffered a deep stab wound in the back, near the left shoulder.
"Takabuti looked very peaceful while lying in the coffin. But what we see now is the moment she died at the hands of someone else," said Eileen Murphy, an archaeological biologist at the School of Nature and the Environment. from Queen’s University, Belfast, shared.
Specifically, CT scans showed "Takabuti was seriously injured at the back of the upper left chest wall," said Robert Loynes, honorary member of the University of Manchester Biomedical Center at Manchester. "This wound caused her to die quickly."
The integrity of Takabuti’s heart is also an explanation. Because according to ancient Egypt, before being mummified, humans will be taken from their hearts so that the dead will not be eaten by the demon Ammit, hindering the journey to the afterlife, Dr. Ramsey said.
Regarding the date of Takabuti’s life, Rosalie David, an Egyptologist at the University of Manchester, said: "This study helps archaeologists understand not only about Takabuti but also the historical context, more broadly than the time. "That’s the basis, the light that led to important turning points in Egyptian history," David said.
The Takabuti mummification team consists of scientists from the National Museum of Northern Ireland, the University of Manchester, Queen’s University of Belfast and Kingsbridge Private Hospital. The team is working on a book about the findings.
Currently, viewers can admire the mummy Takabuti for free at the Ancient Egyptian Gallery of the Ulster Museum in Northern Ireland.
