Abstract
This study introduces a checklist and scoring system for the standardized assessment of soft tissue preservation in CT examinations of human mummies. Additionally, we demonstrate its application—specifically the evaluation of cardiac structures, with a focus on the myocardium—in a CT-based study of ancient Egyptian mummies.
Whole-body CT scans of 45 ancient Egyptian mummies (23 from the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin, Germany, and 22 from the Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy) were systematically assessed for preserved intrathoracic soft tissues. This included anatomical components of the heart (pericardium, interventricular septum, four chambers, myocardium, and valves), trachea, lungs, diaphragm, and mediastinal and coronary arteries. Evidence of evisceration and subsequent cavity filling was also documented. In cases where the myocardium was identifiable, both quantitative (thickness and density measurements) and qualitative (structural description) assessments were performed.
Cardiac structures were identifiable in 28 mummies (62%). CT findings indicated evisceration in 33 mummies, with cavity filling observed in all but one case. Preserved myocardium was identified in nine mummies (five male, four female), appearing as a mostly homogeneous, shrunken structure. The posterior myocardial wall had a mean maximum thickness of 3.6 mm (range: 1.4–6.6 mm) and a mean minimum thickness of 1.0
mm (range: 0.5–1.7 mm). The mean Hounsfield unit (HU) value at the posterior wall was 61 (range: 18–305).
The systematic evaluation enabled by the checklist provides a standardized approach to assess and document soft tissue preservation in mummy CT scans. The scoring system facilitates quantitative comparison across cases. The checklist is modular and adaptable, as demonstrated in its application to cardiac preservation.