Chicago Scientists Open 2,500-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy's Coffin

Ever wondered what you'd look like at the ripe old age of 2,500? Scientists at the Chicago Field Museum recently cracked opened the coffin of a mummified 2,500-year-old Egyptian. The remains uncovered are that of a 14-year-old boy named Minirdis, who was the son of a priest. Through the expertise of scientist JP Brown, the coffin was gently pried open. Before opening the coffin, Brown jokingly explained "The last bit of Indiana Jones and all that, that's not going to happen." Fortunately for the staff, it truly didn't.

The anxious Brown ensured that clamps and metal pieces were used to fashion a cradle of sorts, that could aid in lifting the lid of the coffin. Imagine using an almost similar kind of caution one uses, when lifting the foam paper lid of an extremely hot cup of coffee, brimming to the very edge, lest it spill and burn the skin; in the case of Brown, it was a heavy coffin lid which if broken, could have caused irreparable damage to the remains. While the hot coffee would have only burnt the skin, a damage like that, caused to such a priceless artifact, could possibly have burnt Brown's career down. Which is probably why Brown only relaxed once the lid was safely lifted off. "Sweet!" Brown exhaled, once he had helped put the lid down.

The remains within were mostly covered and bound. At a closer look however, one could notice the toes sticking out, not quite unlike the creepy parts showcased in the mummy movies. A CT scan of the sarcophagus revealed that some damage had been sustained to the remains, when pieces of the coffin had gone missing previously. The scan reveled that the boy's feet were detached and the shroud covering him had partially come undone, revealing his toes. Surprisingly, unlike in the movies though, the remains didn't turn to dust when the coffin was opened. Brown explained that as long as the mummy remained wrapped in linen, no horror movie-type of disaster would occur. Brown went on to identify the various markings within the coffin and the significance of the gilded gold paint on the mask. Brown's passion was visible when he sai, "The fascinating thing about any mummy is that it's survived as long as it has. They're actually amazingly fragile."

If nothing else, this enterprise certainly proves that archaeology is not for the faint of heart. One can imagine the care and planning something like this takes when Brown commented, "Oh yeah, god, I was nervous." However, it seems that young Minirdis is in good hands now. After 2,500 years of stagnation, he's now being prepared carefully to tour some of the most famous museums of the country. One of Minirdis' future travel destinations is the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where the mummy will be showcased to the public. It's finally time to rise and shine for this old son of a priest.