Medical Mystery of Usermontu: Why the Discovery of 2,600-Year-Old Knee Screw Left Experts Dumbfounded
In 1971, the Rosicrucian Museum in California acquired a sealed ancient Egyptian coffin containing the well-preserved mummy of a high status Egyptian male. More than two decades later, a team of scientists made a shocking discovery ? the mummy displayed evidence of an advanced surgical procedure carried out nearly 2,600 years ago. Inside the mummy?s left knee was a 9-inch metal orthopaedic pin that had been inserted with such advanced biomechanical principles, that initially scientists could not distinguish it from a modern-day procedure.
When the Rosicrucian Museum acquired a sealed ancient Egyptian coffin back in the 1970s, they were unaware that it still contained a mummy. In addition, investigations revealed that this mummy was not the original owner of the sarcophagus ? it belonged to a priest named Usermontu (?the power of Montu?) ? and that long after death, the mummy had been placed in Usermontu?s coffin. Nevertheless, the mummy of unknown origin has come to be known by the name of the original sarcophagus owner.
Analysis of the embalming procedure revealed that ?Usermontu? was an upper-class Egyptian male who lived during the New Kingdom of Egypt (between 16th?11th century BC). His mummified remains are 5ft (1.5m) tall and display traces of red hair.
Continued Medical Mystery of Usermontu: Why the Discovery of 2,600-Year-Old Knee Screw Left Experts Dumbfounded | Ancient Origins
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