Paleopathological study of the Egyptian mummies collected in Italy: the Anubis project

Abstract

Eighty-five Egyptian mummies belonging to different dynastic periods and collected in a number of Italian museums, have been censed and submitted for paleopathological research. In most cases the presence of bandages required the application of X- rays and computed axial tomography (CAT). Fifty-two mummies have been studied in situ with Xrays; twelve with CAT scanning. Technical problems kept us from investigating eleven of the censed mummies. In a few cases it was possible to perform autopsies, endoscopy, or histological studies. The mummies submitted for X- rays were divided into two groups: The first group thirty-six mummies studied by the team of Paleopathology-Egyptology of the University of Pisa were studied for the first time. The second group was composed of twenty-six mummies studied elsewhere in Italy. Those results also have been included in the Anubi Project database.