page_title: Paleoradiology
section_title: Egyptology
hierarchical_section_title: Paleoradiology / Current use in archaeology / Egyptology
caption_attribution_description: English: Statue head thought to depict vizier Paramesses, the future king Ramesses I. Granite, end of the 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom (c.1310 BCE). Munich, Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst, ÄS 7924. Acquired with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation.
context_page_description: Paleoradiology is the study of archaeological remains through the use of radiographic techniques, such as X-ray, CT and micro-CT scans. It is predominately used by archaeologists and anthropologists to examine mummified remains due to its non-invasive nature. Paleoradiologists can discover post-mortem damage to the body, or any artefacts buried with them, while still keeping the remains intact. Radiological images can also contribute evidence about the person's life, such as their age and cause of death. The first recorded use of paleoradiology was in 1896, just a year after the Rōntgen radiograph was first produced. Although this method of viewing ancient remains is advantageous due to its non-invasive manner, many radiologists lack expertise in archeology and very few radiologists can identify ancient diseases which may be present.
context_section_description: CT scans are used in Egyptology to gain insight into mummified bodies without risking damage to the integrity of the remains. Hoffman's recent study of nine Egyptian remains discovered new information regarding the mummification practices of Egyptians. The typical process of mummification, as written by Herodotus, involves the removal of the four major internal organs (liver, intestines, lungs and stomach) and placement of them in four canopic jars. The heart is removed, embalmed and placed back into the body as it is an important feature in the journey to the Egyptian afterlife. However, Hoffman discovered that this was not the case in all mummies. Through analysis of CT-produced 3D images, the "fly-through" technique and a combination of axial and coronal images, it was discovered that four of the remains had not had their internal organs removed and in another four the heart could not be identified. Hoffman suggests this may be due to socioeconomic differences between the mummies during the time they were alive. CT scans were further used in Hoffman's study to potentially identify one of the remains as Ramesses I, a Pharaoh during New Kingdom Egypt. It was found that the mummification practices of this particular body were in conjunction with those typically used during the New Kingdom period, as images showed rolled linen placed inside the body in order to preserve its shape. The mummy's arms were also found to be placed across the chest as a symbol of nobility.
  Imaging done by Rethy Chhem, in 2004, was able to correct a diagnosis of Ramesses II from X-rays done in 1976. The incorrect diagnosis had been of ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis. However, Chhem perceived that the pharaoh actually had diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, a calcification of the joints causing ligaments to attach to the spine. The CT images provided a clearer and more detailed image of the spine when compared with the early X-rays. This enabled the researchers to provide a greater insight into diseases found in ancient remains and achieve a more accurate diagnosis. 
  A recent CT scan of Tutankhamun in 2006 was able to provide evidence against the 'homicide theory'. A depression fracture noted on the skull from X-rays taken 30 years previously was found to be a post-mortem injury rather than a cause of death. The hole in the head had been created in order to continue the embalming process of mummification. This CT investigation was also able to confirm Tutankhamun's age of death as nineteen and disprove the idea that the young pharaoh had suffered from scoliosis; rather the bend in his spine was from additional post-mortem damage to the body.
caption: Statue of Paramesses (later known as Ramesses I), pharaoh of Egypt during the 20th dynasty of New Kingdom Egypt
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