(Web Desk) - Scientists have revealed limbs of an ancient Egyptian mummy in horrifying detail like you’ve never seen before.
State-of-the-art image scanning has exposed everything from skulls to a well-preserved foot with a huge chunk missing from the big toe.
Trying to see beneath the layers wrapped around mummies without damaging them is a massive challenge for scientists.
Experts had previously mistaken the foot for a mummified bird but cutting edge tech has confirmed exactly what all the parts in the haul are – and they give grim detail of what they look like too.
They estimate that the oldest remains date back to between 401 and 259 BCE, meaning they’re over 2,300 years old.
The main purpose of the research is to look at the internal structure of the body parts for signs of abnormalities and to better understand the mysterious preservation techniques ancient Egyptians used.
Overall, they looked at two heads, two left lower limbs, a foot and a hand.
“The remains had previously been examined by a research team, but the current images provide a more detailed view than ever before and are expected to yield new, scientifically valid findings regarding the remains that have been preserved in the collection for decades,” said Krisztina Scheffer, Chief Museologist from the MNMKK Semmelweis Museum of Medical History.
One of the lower limb parts showed signs that the person had osteoporosis, a potentially deadly condition which weakens bones and makes them prone to fatal breaks.
Meanwhile, scientists have figured out that the other limb part belonged to a younger individual.
The exact age is still yet to be determined but further research may shed more light.
Researchers are also trying to understand whether the hand belonged to a child or an adult by looking at the size, development, and morphological characteristics of the bones.
“Based on the results so far, it is evident that modern imaging technology opens up new perspectives in mummy research,” Scheffer added.
“It can reveal information hidden in finds that are thousands of years old without damaging them.”