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Sound of a mummy: listen as Ancient Egyptian priest 'speaks' for first time in 3,000 years

The mummyof the priest Nesyamum - Leeds Museums & Galleries / SWNS
The mummyof the priest Nesyamum - Leeds Museums & Galleries / SWNS

When Egyptian priest Nesyamun died more than 3,000 years ago his departing wish was that he be allowed to speak in the afterlife, so that he could address the gods, and be granted entry into eternity.

Now, with the help of science, the holy man has indeed found his voice after death.

Academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, University of York and Leeds Museum scanned the mummy of Nesyamum, 3D printed his vocal tract then played soundwaves through it to create an impression of how the priest might have sounded.

So far, the only noise they’ve created is a nondescript bleat, sounding something like ‘beh’ but the researchers are hoping to use computer modelling to recreate words and even sentences.

The experts said it allowed people to ‘make direct contact with ancient Egypt by listening to a sound from a vocal tract that has not been heard for over 3000 years.’

And they want to eventually try the technique on other famous ‘heads’, and bring back the voices of notable figures.

Asked how he felt on hearing the priest ‘speak’ for the first time in thousands of years, Professor John Schofield from the University of York, told The Telegraph: “Incredible. The project team were all together when we heard the sound for the first time.

“For me it felt a bit like shining the torch into Tutankhamun's tomb and seeing something that hadn't been seen in thousands of years.

“This is just the sound created with the head at an unnatural angle. What it amounts to though is a proof of concept from which we can develop additional vowel sounds using computer modelling.

“First we plan to stick with Nesyamun and hope to reach a stage where a range of sounds can be recreated. We will then look at the possibility of creating words and sentences. And at that point we might look at other human remains which share this quality of soft tissue preservation.”

Hieroglyphs show that the priest wanted to speak again after death  - Credit: Leeds City Museum 
Hieroglyphs show that the priest wanted to speak again after death Credit: Leeds City Museum

Nesyamun was a priest, incense-bearer and scribe at the ancient temple complex of Karnak, - modern Luxor - who lived during the politically volatile reign of pharaoh Ramses XI, between 1099 and 1069 BC.

Working in the temple would have required singing and chanting duties, and it was a fundamental belief of the ancient Egyptians that ‘to speak the name of the dead is to make them live again’, both by living relatives and by the deceased themselves when appearing before the gods of judgement.

Earlier studies, in which Nesyamun was unwrapped, showed he had died in his mid-50s and had suffered from gum disease and severely worn teeth.

A 3D print of the vocal tract  - Credit: Leeds Museums & Galleries
A 3D print of the vocal tract Credit: Leeds Museums & Galleries

He is often known as The Leeds Mummy, because he has resided at the Leeds City Museum since 1823, and survived being bombed in the Blitz, while other specimins were badly damaged.

A vocal tract can only be restored if the soft tissue remains, so the team passed Nesyamun through a CT scanner at Leeds General Infirmary to check to see if the significant part of the structure of the larynx and throat remained.

Professor Joann Fletcher, of the department of archaeology at the University of York, added: “Ultimately, this innovative interdisciplinary collaboration has given us the unique opportunity to hear the sound of someone long dead by virtue of their soft tissue preservation combined with new developments in technology.

“And while this has wide implications for both healthcare and museum display, its relevance conforms exactly to the ancient Egyptians' fundamental belief that 'to speak the name of the dead is to make them live again'.”

Nesyamun was scanned at Leeds General Infirmary   - Credit:  Leeds Museums & Galleries
Nesyamun was scanned at Leeds General Infirmary Credit: Leeds Museums & Galleries

The researchers say that the new project could allow museum visitors to read the coffin’s hieroglyphs and hear the vocalisation, fulfilling Nesyamun’s own wishes.

The research is published in the Scientific Reports journal.