-
(#1) His Hands And Feet Are Bound And He Wasn't Properly Mummified
The Screaming Mummy was notably different from others mummies Egyptologists have found previously, which raised red flags for scientists. One notable difference was that rather than linen, he was wrapped in sheepskin, which the purity-obsessed Egyptians regarded as unclean. Only offenders or people damned for eternity would have been entombed in such a manner.
Also, his coffin was unmarked - no one could recite his name in the afterlife, which was a big deal - and his hands and feet were bound, as if he had perished a prisoner. He wasn't even truly mummified properly (it's a long, drawn-out process), just dried out in natron with resin placed in his mouth.
-
(#2) He May Have Been A Prince Executed For Involvement In 'The Harem Conspiracy'
Scholars think they might have identified Unknown Man E. There was once a man named Prince Pentawere, a son of Pharaoh Ramesses III, who participated in a conspiracy to remove his father from the throne. One of Ramesses's minor wives, a member of his harem named Tiy, wanted her husband off the throne. She aimed to oust the king and put her son, Pentawere, in his place. The plan also involved removing Ramesses's chosen heir.
Pentawere's plan didn't make it and he was labeled a traitor, disgraced like Man E, who fit the physical profile of the prince. Interestingly, the Screaming Mummy has similar DNA markers and Y chromosomes to Ramesses III. It's likely that Man E and Ramesses III were father and son.
-
(#3) The Harem Conspiracy Involved More Than Just Prince Pentawere And His Mother
Along with Queen Tiy and Prince Pentawere, a group of important noblemen conspired to get rid of Ramesses III. A record of their trial, called the Turin Judicial Papyrus, still survives. As a result, we know the names of the chief conspirators. One was "Pebekkamen, formerly chief of the chamber" who stirred up resentment against the Pharaoh. Pebekkamen conspired with ex-butler Mesedsure, ex-overseer of the royal harem Peynok, and the scribe Pendua. The conspiracy went all the way to the top. Top-level conspirators included Peyes, the former commander of the army, Oneney, the chief of police, Hori, the head of the infantry bearers, and more.
As it turns out, the conspirators didn't entirely fail. Examination of the mummy of Ramesses III revealed a seven-centimeter-wide slash on his throat that went deep to the bone.
-
(#4) Prince Pentawere Took His Own Life After Being Condemned By A Court
The Turin Judicial Papyrus also records the fate of Pentawere, the would-be pharaoh. Apprehended for colluding with his mother, he "was placed before the butlers, in order to examine him; they found him guilty; they left him in his place; he took his own life."
But by what means? How exactly did Unknown Man E expire? Perhaps by poison.
In 1886, Gaston Maspero, the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, hypothesized:
All those who saw him first hand thought that [he] looked as though he had been poisoned. The contraction of the abdomen and stomach, the desperate movement with which the head is thrown back, the expression of excruciating pain spread over the face hardly allow for any other explanation.
A chemist who analyzed the body also suggested the man was perhaps entombed alive or hung, which would back out the suggestion that Pentawere took his own life.
-
(#5) The 'Scream' Only Resulted From The Head Falling Back Post-Mortem
At first glance, one might think that the screaming expression exhibited by the Screaming Mummy came from him experiencing an agonizing pain. In actuality, it probably happened rather naturally. As it turns out, his head fell back after he passed. His jaw fell open postmortem, leaving him "screaming" for all eternity.
-
(#6) The Mummy Was Found Among A Number Of Royal Coffins
The Screaming Mummy was discovered along with a group of other royal coffins. The group resided at Deir el-Bahri, located near the Valley of the Kings. Lots of the other mummies had identification on them, but not Unknown Man E, yet the fact he was included among royal mummies suggests he was of royal blood.
-
(#7) Screaming Mummies Have Been Found All Over The World
The screaming part of the mummy's expression wasn't due to the manner of his demise, but the position of the remains. In fact, screaming mummies can be found all over the world, from Sicily to Peru - one museum in Mexico even boasts over 111 artifacts. Other Egyptian mummies also share the same expression on their faces.
As the joints holding the jaw in place slacken, their jaws gape open as rigor mortis sets in, leaving behind a horrific expression.
-
(#8) Some Scholars Speculate He Was A Hittite Prince
There's no way of making a 100% identification of Unknown Man E with Pentawere. But if he wasn't an Egyptian prince, then, who might he have been?
There is a theory that perhaps the mummy was once a Hittite prince who was traveling to Egypt to marry King Tut's widow. The prince expired under mysterious conditions and scholars are unaware of his whereabouts. However, scholars have debunked this theory, based on the fact that a man who mysteriously disappeared wouldn't get mummified.
Another theory suggests he was an important Egyptian person who perished abroad and only got partially mummified because those around him didn't have access to proper techniques.
-
(#9) A Famous Archaeologist Discovered Him In 1886, But He Only Got Popular Recently
Famous Egyptologist Gaston Maspero discovered the Screaming Mummy in a royal tomb in 1886, but it was only in recent years that "Unknown Man E" became a tourist attraction. The possibly grim nature of his demise and the expression on his face draw in audiences with a morbid curiosity. Scholars have puzzled over the way he passed for years, but recent display in a museum have the figure national attention.
-
(#10) During The Egyptian Uprising In 2011, He Was One Of The Few Mummies Protestors Left Alone
When the Egyptian revolution of 2011 rocked the northeastern African nation, much of its cultural heritage came under fire. In particular, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo suffered a number of losses. Dr. Zahi Hawass reported that many priceless artifacts disappeared and two mummies were wrecked. However, looters left the Screaming Mummy alone.
-
(#11) The Screaming Mummy Brought In Over 20,000 Visitors To The Egyptian Museum
Once the Screaming Mummy made its debut at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, it proved a popular attraction. The museum director noted that the mummy, once abandoned in the basement, brought in over 20,000 visitors to the museum. These guests were both Egyptian and foreign visitors; it also received international press coverage, drawing attention from around the world.
-
(#12) Want More Ancient Egypt?
One of the oldest and most mythologized cultures in human history, Ancient Egypt has attracted the curious and the adventurous for millennia. The land has long been revered as a place of knowledge, mystery, and unparalleled beauty - with archaeologists still uncovering its secrets to this day. If you want to delve deeper into Egypt's history, the following books, media, and other Ranker lists are highly recommended.
A great place to start is Toby Wilkinson's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, an enthralling one-volume work that draws upon the author's 40 years of archaeological expertise. The civilization is reviewed from its early beginnings to its ultimate fate as a vassal of the Roman Empire.
For those more interested in the mythology of the culture, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt is as thorough as its title promises.
When Women Ruled the World offers a unique perspective on Ancient Egyptian culture by examining the reigns of six female rulers, including Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra.
If you’re in the mood for a documentary, Egypt: The Series is a great tour through the New Kingdom and its lavish monuments.
With more than 300 photographs, many of them in color, The Art of Ancient Egypt pays homage to 3,000 years of glorious architecture, tombs, wall paintings, amulets, papyri, and objects traced to multiple Egyptian dynasties.
For those looking to add some epic flair to their home, this five-panel wall art installation offers a glimpse of the pyramids as they appear today.
For further reading on Ancient Egypt, Ranker's editors have selected the following lists that dive into the truths and popular misconceptions about this fascinating culture:
New Random Displays Display All By Ranking
About This Tool
Our data comes from Ranker, If you want to participate in the ranking of items displayed on this page, please click here.