Inside the cat mummy - hi-res scans of teeth reveal its age at death (IMAGE)
Caption
Digitally dissected lower jaw (mandible) and teeth of the mummified kitten. Reveals fractures and unerupted mandibular first molars (red) indicating it was a kitten at the time of death. Scale: skull total length = 68.9 mm. The cat is one of three mummified animals from ancient Egypt which have been digitally unwrapped and dissected by researchers, using high-resolution 3D scans that give unprecedented detail about the animals' lives - and deaths - over 2000 years ago. Previous investigations had identified which animals they were, but very little else was known about what lay inside the mummies. Now, thanks to X-ray micro CT scanning, which generates 3D images with a resolution 100 times greater than a medical CT scan, the animals' remains can be analysed in extraordinary detail, right down to their smallest bones and teeth. ***More images and video clips available****
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Swansea University
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