How did the FBI solved the mystery of the severed head of 4,000-year-old mummy

In 1915 a group of American archaeologists discovered an ancient Egyptian necropolis of Deir El-bersha and entrance to a hidden tomb. Inside the small room of limestone they opened a terrible sight — cedar sarcophagus was severed head of a mummy.

Room, which researchers have identified as the "tomb 10A", was the resting place of Egyptian nomarch Djehutynakht and his wife. At some point over 4 thousand years, they sleep in the tomb robbers came and stole the gold and jewels. Robbers threw it in the corner torso of a mummy and tried to set fire to the tomb, to cover his tracks.

Discovered plundered tomb, archaeologists was sent to the Museum of fine arts in Boston after the RAID-preserved sarcophagi and wood sculpture in 1921. Much of the collection remained in storage until 2009, until they are exposed. Although the torso of the mummies remained in Egypt, severed head was the highlight of the exposition in the United States. She attracted the attention of the visitors, it was surrounded by mystery. "The head was found in the sarcophagus of the nomarch, but to whom it belongs, to the Governor or his wife or not know," said the curator of the Museum of Rita freed. And then it was decided to conduct a DNA test.

"The problem is that prior to 2009 was not aware of any successful extraction of DNA samples from the mummies aged 4 thousand years."

The expedition at the entrance to the tomb 10A, 1915

Egyptian climate quickly destroys DNA. Therefore, the Museum was approached by the FBI to solve the mystery.

The Federal Bureau of investigation has never pursued the examination of such of the ancient sample. Successful extraction of genetic material from ancient mummies to add a new technique in the Arsenal of forensic and decoding the past the other ancient remains.

Researchers believe that the nomarch Djehutynakht and his wife lived around 2000 BC, during the Middle Kingdom in Ancient Egypt. Although the walls of the tomb were naked, the sarcophagi of ancient rulers were decorated with beautiful hieroglyphs and images of the afterlife.

The group that plundered the tomb, led by American archaeologists George Reisner and Hanford story. They used dynamite to get inside the burial.

During the preparation for the exhibition in 2005 with the help of computer tomography revealed that the mysterious head of the mummy of missing cheeks and part of the jaw. A new problem has arisen where the deceased such deviations. The researchers suggested that this could be the result of an ancient ritual, also known as "the Ceremony of the open mouth". It was held that the deceased could eat, drink and breathe in the afterlife.

"Here we need a very specific cut. We were surprised how well the surgery was performed. That is 4 thousand years ago, the Egyptians performed coronoides". However, other experts doubted that the Ancient Egyptians could perform the surgery with the help of primitive tools. To prove otherwise, the neurosurgeon Paul Chapman with a team of surgeons removed with chisel and hammer, the same jaw bone that was absent from the unknown to the head.

Still, who belonged to the head, remains unknown.

The doctors and staff of the Museum realized that it is better to extract DNA from the teeth of a mummy, because often they are like little time capsules, they can tell about the genetic past of man.

Decorated sarcophagus lid

Into the hole in the neck of the severed head scientists have inserted a wired camera. First tooth, which they have reached, did not succumb, while the second came off instantly. It was a healthy and well-preserved tooth. For several years, a team of scientists tried unsuccessfully to extract from the tooth genetic material. And then in 2016 they turned to the medical examiner FBI Odile Loreal.

Odile Loreal came to the FBI after 20 years of study of ancient DNA. She removed the genetic material from a cave bear age 130 thousand years, worked on the identification of the victims of the Korean war, found out the name of the two-year-old, who died on the Titanic, and proved that found in the Urals, the remains belong to two of the Romanov children (but could not confirm whether any of those Princess Anastasia).

Scientists and doctors extracted a tooth from a mummified head

In the laboratory of the Bureau Loreal drilled the tooth root and extracted particles of powder. Then she rubbed the tooth and put it into the DNA library for future research. She made the data about the tooth into the computer and studied the structure and parts of chromosomes in the sample. When the program has processed the request, a notification will sample the tooth belongs to the man.

Odile Loreal proved that the mummified head belonged to the nomarch Djehutynakht. In addition, she found that ancient Egyptian mummies, you can successfully extract DNA. "For Egyptologists is one of the Holy Grails".

Research Odile Loreal revealed another secret. For centuries, archaeologists and historians have struggled with the origin of the ancient Egyptians and how closely associated with modern people, living in Northern Africa. To the surprise of scientists, maternal ancestor Djehutynakht was a Eurasian.

Wooden figures Nomura Djehutynakht and his wife, found in the tomb looted

Achieve Loreal will allow scientists to learn more about the ancient civilization. However, to work they will have over the old model, because in 1983, the Egyptian government banned the export of the country's ancient artifacts or human remains. But for employees of the Boston Museum, the main award in the fact that they finally found out who owns the head. It took 100 years. Now they could change the sign.