| Usermontu Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Usermontu |
| Age | |
| Sex | m |
| Status | elite |
| Height | 1.5 m |
| Source | |
| Culture | Egyptian |
| Date(s) | ca. 1279–1213 B.C. |
| Site | |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Rosicrucian Museum |
| Catalog # | |
Usermontu meaning "Powerful is Montu" is a well preserved Egyptian mummy from the upper-class who was approximately 5 feet tall (1.5 m) and was a natural redhead.
In 1971, the Rosicrucian Museum in California acquired two sealed ancient Egyptian coffins from Neiman-Marcus. One of the coffins contained a well-preserved mummy.
The man for whom the coffin had been inscribed was a priest named Usermontu. Investigations found later that the occupant mummy is not the original owner of the sarcophagus, and long after death, this mummy was placed inside the coffin. He lived during 18th, 19th, or 20th Dynasty of the New Kingdom.
Studies[]
X-ray of Usermontu's left knee
In August 1995, an x-ray was performed on the mummy which found that it had undergone a sophisticated procedure in which a orthopedic pin had been inserted into the left knee. From the x-ray alone it was thought that the pin was a modern addition in order to keep the body parts in tact because of how advanced the surgical procedure was. In 1998, a team of scientists found traces of ancient organic resin that held the pin in place, analogous to modern bone cement.
The metallic composition of the corkscrew pin is pure iron, it was put in before the man was mummified, but if it was inserted while he was still living or just after he died is still unknown. Never before has an Egyptian mummy shown anything similar.
References[]
Medical Mystery of Usermontu: Why the Discovery of 2,600-Year-Old Knee Screw Left Experts Dumbfounded. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/medical-mystery-usermontu-why-discovery-2600-year-old-knee-screw-020445
Usermontu: a remarkable Egyptian mummy known for its ancient metal orthopedic pin with advanced biomechanical principles by David Goran Jan 29, 2017 https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/01/29/usermontu-a-remarkable-egyptian-mummy-known-for-its-ancient-metal-orthopedic-pin-with-advanced-biomechanical-principles/