Description
The bodies were buried in separate shallow graves, placed in the foetal position (knees raised towards their heads), which was the most common form for Egyptian burials of the time.
In 1967 a series of X-rays and photographs of all mummified bodies in the British Museum's Egyptian Antiquities collection provided a detailed analysis for the mummies from the Gebelein excavations. The findings are summarized below:
| Id | Length | Age and sex | Findings summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32751 | 1.63 metres (5.3 feet) | Male adult | This male adult body has all teeth present and healthy and there are tufts of ginger-coloured hair on the scalp. There are fractures to the ribs, right pubic ring, both thigh bones, shin and calf bones but there is no evidence of arthritis. The left index finger and several of the last toe bones are missing. |
| 32752 | 1.51 metres (5.0 feet) | Female adult | This is a female adult body with fractures to skull and many other bone fractures occurring after death, however the bones are otherwise healthy. There is long brown hair present on the scalp. |
| 32753 | 1.49 metres (4.9 feet) | Adolescent, sex uncertain | This body of an adolescent has a detached skull that may not belong to the body. The teeth are worn and there are fractures in all ribs, left tibia and right thigh bone. There are lines of arrested growth in the tibia. Linen has been used to pack the thorax and abdomen. |
| 32754 | 1.6 metres (5.2 feet) | Male adult | This is a male adult body with a square-shaped opacity in the skull and healthy teeth. The body has fractures in the 9th rib, the right femur and a crack fracture left of the sciatic notch. Several of the fingers are missing and the left hand has been detached at the wrist. Tufts of brown hair are on the remains of the scalp. |
| 32755 | 1.52 metres (5.0 feet) | Elderly adult, sex uncertain | This elderly body has decalcified bones, consistent with senile osteoporosis. The body was probably in a wicker basket and covered with an animal skin as wicker and fur remnants are present and there are patches of linen on the body surface. All teeth are present with caps worn. The body has many fractured ribs and only wrist bones of the left hand remain. The legs have been detached due to fractures mid-shaft of both thigh bones. There are lines of arrested growth in the tibia and the last bones of most toes are missing. |
| 32756 | 1.51 metres (5.0 feet) | Adult, probably male | This adult body has remnants of bandages at the neck, pelvis and right ankle. The skull has been detached with some incisors missing but the remaining teeth appear healthy. The body has fractures in the ribs and left femur. One arm has been dislocated at the elbow joint, the left hand is detached at the wrist and both feet are also detached from the rest of the body. |
The first body excavated had red hair, this led to the nickname of "Ginger" by curators and later by the public. After the Human Tissue Act 2004, the British Museum has developed policies for ethical treatment of human remains and no longer uses this nickname.
Read more about this topic: Gebelein Predynastic Mummies
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