The face of an ancient Egyptian mummy with an abnormally large brain has been revealed for the first time in 2,300 years.
The mummy was an ancient Egyptian elite and was only 14 years old when he sadly died.
Minirdis was the scion of a holy family and before his death would take over the job of his father, Inaros, a priest of the Egyptian fertility god Min.
But he died around the age of 14 and his mummified remains were buried in the Akhmim cemetery in Upper Egypt, where they were found in 1925.
Now scientists working to restore his sight have determined that the teen has a rare medical condition.
The face of an ancient Egyptian mummy with an abnormally large brain has been revealed for the first time in 2,300 years
Minirdis was the scion of a holy family and would have followed the job of his father, Inaros, a priest of the Egyptian fertility god Min. But he died around the age of 14 and his mummified remains were buried in the Akhmim Cemetery, Upper Egypt, where they were found in 1925.
Cicero Moraes, lead author of the upcoming study, says Minirdis had megalencephaly – a condition characterized by an abnormally large brain.
He said: ‘Something bothered me about the structure and when we studied the cranial volume values we were impressed by its size.
‘I noticed that the coffin looks like someone older than the mummy, yet the head takes up almost the entire length.
“That’s why the death mask was turned, otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible to close the coffin.”
He continued: ‘A skull can be considered megalencephalic if the circumference of the head is greater than 2.5 standard deviations for the age and sex of the individual.
‘In this case, the head circumference and brain volume are three standard deviations above that.’
Minirdis’ likeness was recreated using a digitized model of his skull, with soft tissue added, with the process guided by data from living people – including the relevant age group.
In addition, a donor’s skull and skin structure were virtually recreated and then deformed until they matched Minirdis’ dimensions, revealing his true face.
Now scientists working to restore his sight have determined that the teen has a rare medical condition
Minirdis’ likeness was recreated using a digitized model of his skull, with soft tissue added, with the process guided by data from living people – including the relevant age group.
Mr Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert, said: ‘It is a young and innocent face.
‘The eyes of thousands of years ago observe the people of today who are looking for answers about their past.’
The names of the mummy and his father are known thanks to an inscription on the coffin.
Cicero said the teenager would have lived a gilded life.
He said: ‘It is clear that his life was potentially full of material and spiritual abundance as his father was part of the religious elite.’
However, despite his diagnosis, his cause of death remains mysterious.
Megalencephaly can be benign, but it can also cause developmental delays, intellectual disability, seizures and even paralysis.
Today, Minirdis’ remains are in the collection of Chicago’s Field Museum.
Mr Moraes and his co-authors, Francesco Maria Galassi and Michael Habicht, are waiting for academic formalization before publishing their research.