SAN FRANCISCO - Researchers led by Stanford University and Silicon Graphics Inc. have uncovered some of the mysteries surrounding a 2,000-year-old mummy without peeling back any of its bandages, or even opening its gold-plated coffin.
Using a state-of-the-art CT scanner that rotated all the way around the tiny mummified girl, San Jose-based Silicon Graphics Inc. took 60,000 images, and then created 3-D models that allowing scientists to look at her resin-filled body cavities, her facial features, even her baby teeth.
Among their conclusions: the girl was between 4 and 6 years old, and must have been breast-fed until shortly before her death.
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Anyone know how they could tell how long she'd been breastfed? I know that the shape of the soft palate makes it clear whether someone has ever been breastfed, but I'm not aware of any indicators of duration.
Jennifer,
My guess is that it wasn't through the shape of her palate, but rather through the contents of her stomach. (Her organs were removed and preserved during the mummification process, and were also analyzed during this scanning process.)
Mind you, this is only my best guess... I basically had the same question when I read the article, and blogged it so I'd remember to follow up.
~ Ali
I was curious enough to email the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/news/2005/05childmummy.html) to ask this very question. I will let you know if I get a reply. :)
LOL - I, too, had emailed them! I'm sure we're not the only enquiring minds, either - let's see if we get our answer. ;)
Wow, that was fast!
Dear Ali,
Egyptian children were traditionally breastfed longer than those in Western
cultures. There was a very large spike in mortality between the ages of three
and five due to the increased intake of potentially contaminated foods and
water. We did not do any studies of Sherit's diet (yet), but instead based this
on cultural information. It would probably be better for this to have been
worded, "...was likely fairly recently weaned."
Her overall bone density, however, does imply an exemplary diet and nutrition.
Since the ancient diet was low in protein and calcium, this implies to me that
she was indeed breastfed until fairly close to her death, before her bones had
thinned as we see with the more adult population.
Thanks,
Lisa Schwappach-Shirriff, MA
Curator/Egyptian archaeologist
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
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