The first remains of an ancient Egyptian mummified pregnant woman have been identified, discovered in Thebes and dating back more than 2,000 years. Scans of the body revealed that the woman was 28 weeks into her pregnancy when she died. Experts from the Polish Academy of Sciences, as part of the Warsaw Mummy Project, worked to uncover more details about the woman, who is believed to have been in her 20s. Using a combination of CT scans and X-rays, the researchers discovered the remains of a fetus, estimated to be between 26 to 30 weeks old, making this the first documented case of a pregnant mummy.
The woman’s body had been carefully wrapped in high-quality fabrics and placed with a rich assortment of amulets to guide her into the afterlife, as detailed by the authors in the Journal of Archaeological Science. While the team could not determine why the fetus was left inside the woman rather than being mummified separately, they suggest it may be because the unborn child was too young to have been given a name. According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, having a name was essential for entering the afterlife. Without one, the fetus may have needed to journey into the afterlife as part of its mother.
The abdominal area of the mummy, as shown through various scans, revealed the fetus as a bright mass, located in the lower part of the lesser pelvis and partially in the lower part of the greater pelvis. The fetus had not been removed from its original location, unlike the heart, lungs, liver, and intestines, which were typically extracted during the mummification process. Its head circumference measured 9.8 inches, helping researchers estimate its age at between the 26th and 30th week of pregnancy. Due to the fetus’s poor skeletal preservation, with bones that had shrunk from drying and exhibited fractures, the team could not measure other bones. CT imaging was further obscured by surrounding uterine tissue, limiting detailed analysis beyond measuring the head.
Lead author Dr. Wojciech Ejsmond described the discovery as the first well-preserved ancient body of a pregnant woman. The mummy had been wrapped in fine-quality fabrics and adorned with amulets representing the four sons of Horus, suggesting she held a high status within Theban society. Found in royal tombs in Thebes, Upper Egypt, the woman belonged to the elite of the Theban community, according to the study’s authors. The mummy, discovered in the 1800s, dates to the first century BC—a time when Cleopatra reigned, and Thebes was a thriving cultural and political center. The mummy was transported to Warsaw, Poland, in 1826 during a period of significant archaeological discoveries in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. It has since been displayed at the National Museum in Warsaw, where modern imaging techniques in 2021 revealed that the woman died between the ages of 20 and 30, along with her unborn child.
This discovery provides new opportunities for studying pregnancy in ancient times, with findings that can be compared to modern cases. The mummy offers insights into ancient Egyptian burial customs, particularly regarding pregnancy and beliefs about the afterlife. For Egyptologists, this discovery is particularly fascinating, as little is known about perinatal health and childhood in ancient Egypt. Physicians studying the mummy might analyze the intestinal contents of the fetus to gain information on the development of the immune system in antiquity.
The fetus’s presence inside the mother raises questions about ancient beliefs surrounding unborn children. Unlike other cases where stillborn children were mummified separately, this fetus remained within the mother’s uterus. The researchers suggest this may reflect the belief that the fetus was still considered an integral part of the mother’s body, as it had not yet been born. Without a name, ancient Egyptian beliefs held that the fetus could only enter the afterlife as part of its mother, since a name was crucial for individual identity in the afterlife.
Maternal mortality rates were significantly higher in ancient times compared to today. According to the World Health Organization, 295,000 women died during or shortly after pregnancy and childbirth in 2017, though the rate would have been much higher in ancient Egypt. Estimates of maternal mortality in antiquity are often speculative, with historical records offering limited information. Until this discovery, evidence related to birth complications in ancient Egypt was primarily found in written texts. The burial of pregnant women is rarely identified, and this mummy provides the first opportunity for direct examination of pregnancy-related complications, as well as potential ancient medical treatments.
The discovery opens new avenues for studying pregnancy in ancient Egypt, the development of fetuses, and the taphonomic processes that affect fetal and uterine tissues during mummification. The non-invasive imaging techniques used in this study preserved the mummy’s integrity, allowing for future multidisciplinary investigations. The team also examined the coffin and casing that accompanied the mummy, which had been part of the National Museum in Warsaw’s collection since the 18th century.
The Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt, where the mummy was found, remains one of Egypt’s most renowned archaeological sites. Located near the ancient city of Luxor on the eastern banks of the Nile—approximately 300 miles from the pyramids of Giza—the Valley of the Kings served as the burial ground for many pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties, who ruled from 1550 to 1069 BC. The royal tombs, carved into the local rock, are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology, offering insights into ancient beliefs and funerary practices. Although most tombs were looted centuries ago, they still provide evidence of the wealth and power of the pharaohs. The site’s most famous tomb belongs to Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922, and its preserved decorations include sacred imagery from the Book of Gates and the Book of Caverns, among the most important funerary texts found in ancient Egyptian tombs.
In conclusion, the discovery of this mummified pregnant woman represents a milestone in the study of ancient Egyptian burial practices, offering unprecedented insights into perinatal health, religious beliefs, and the complexities of mummification. This remarkable find not only enhances our understanding of ancient Egyptian society but also opens new possibilities for future research into pregnancy and fetal development in antiquity.
