Emily Chan
Since 1915, the mummified head of an ancient Egyptian woman has been stored in a high school library in Australia.
To this day, the circumstances under which the artifact appeared are unclear. Recently, researchers have reconstructed the mummy’s face.
The mummified head first arrived at Grafton High School after it was donated by a local doctor named T.J. Henry in 1915.
The head came with a note dated July 1860. It explained that Henry bought the artifact in the late 1800s while studying medicine in Edinburgh. The note also estimated that the head was over 2,000-years-old.
However, there are differing opinions about its origins. Some experts believe that it was actually donated by Grafton Elliot Smith, an anatomist and one of the most well-known Egyptologists of the 20th century.
Either way, the head has stirred up a lot of controversy at the high school. Many people thought the school should continue to take care of it, while others wanted the display gone.
The head is not wrapped up in bandages, so anyone can see that it’s blackened and cracked, with wisps of light orange hair still visible.
The mouth is slightly parted, revealing a few teeth. Someone had also rubbed gold flakes in the spots where the eyes used to be.
For over a century, the mummy’s age and gender were unknown. But then, researchers from Australian and Italian universities conducted an analysis of the head and discovered that it belonged to a woman in her 50s.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
