A millennial journey for science.
The Egyptian mummy Séramon, preserved at the Museum of Fine Arts and Archeology of Besançon, was recently welcomed to the Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL) for a scientific exploration. Using a photon counting spectral scanner (SPCCT), unique in the world, researchers hoped to unravel the mysteries of this high Egyptian official, 3,000 years old.
This technology, developed by the Center for Research in Image Acquisition and Processing for Health (CREATIS), in partnership with Philips, makes it possible to obtain unprecedented details on the anatomy and state of health of this ancient mummy , while preserving its integrity. “The interest of this approach is to combine a modern medical vision carried by the Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University and the Hospices Civils de Lyon, with historical questions around the mummy Séramon“, explains Salim Si-Mohamed, Professor at UCBL and doctor at HCL.
Preliminary results reveal previously unsuspected pathologies, such as vertebral fractures, osteoarthritis and signs of carotid atheroma. “The presence of the heart still remains to be identified“. Thus, the mystery surrounding the presence of Seramon’s heart remains intact, leaving secrets still to be revealed.
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