Sahar Saleem

Last updated
Sahar Saleem
NationalityEgyptian
Alma materUniversity of Cairo
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Cairo

Sahar Saleem is a professor of radiology at Cairo University where she specialises in paleoradiology, the use of radiology to study mummies. She discovered the knife wound in the throat of Ramesses III, which was most likely the cause of his death.

Contents

Early life and career

Sahar Saleem received her degree in medicine from Qasr El Eyni Hospital, Cairo. Subsequently, she went on to receive both her master's and medical doctorate in radiology from Cairo University. She moved to Canada to do a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroradiology and a fellowship in radiology education at the University of Western Ontario, before returning to Cairo University, where she is currently a professor of radiology. [1] [2]

Research

Saleem uses medical imaging, in particular CT scans, to study mummies. This enables her to look through the wrappings, providing more detail than X-rays. [3] She is part of the Egyptian Mummy Project and she has scanned several of the royal mummies, including Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Seti I, from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. [3] [4] [5] These mummies have been described in her book Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies, which she co-authored with Zahi Hawass. [6] In 2017, the book was a recipient of the PROSE Award in Popular Science. [7]

By using CT scans on the mummy of Tutankhamun, Saleem and Hawass determined that he was around 19 years old when he was mummified. [4] They also hypothesised that the cause of death was not head trauma, as previously thought, but a knee fracture on a background of malaria. [4]

They also scanned Ramesses III, a pharaoh who was thought to be the victim of a harem conspiracy. Scans performed by Saleem revealed that Ramesses throat was cut and his left toe was cut off, providing supporting evidence that he was likely killed in that conspiracy, as the injuries pointed to there being more than one attacker. [3] [5]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tutankhamun</span> Pharaoh of ancient Egypt (18th Dynasty)

Tutankhamun or Tutankhamen, also referred to as King Tut, was the antepenultimate pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. He ascended to the throne around the age of 9 and reigned until his death around age 19. Historically, Tutankhamun is primarily known for restoring the traditional polytheistic ancient Egyptian religion, after its suppression by Akhenaten in favor of the Atenist religion. Also, Tutankhamun was one of few kings worshipped as a deity during his lifetime; this was usually done posthumously for most pharaohs. In popular culture, he is known for his vastly opulent wealth found during the 1922 discovery of his tomb, the only such tomb to date to have been found in near-intact condition. The discovery of his tomb is widely considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nefertiti</span> Wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten

Neferneferuaten Nefertiti was a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a radical change in national religious policy, in which they promoted a form of proto-monotheism centred on the sun god Aten. With her husband, she reigned at what was arguably the wealthiest period of ancient Egyptian history. Some scholars believe that Nefertiti ruled briefly as Neferneferuaten after her husband's death and before the ascension of Tutankhamun, although this identification is a matter of ongoing debate. If Nefertiti did rule as Pharaoh, her reign was marked by the fall of Amarna and relocation of the capital back to the traditional city of Thebes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramesses III</span> Egyptian pharaoh 1186–1155 BCE, New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty

Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. He is thought to have reigned from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC and is considered to be the last great monarch of the New Kingdom to wield any substantial authority over Egypt. His long reign saw the decline of Egyptian political and economic power, linked to a series of invasions and internal economic problems that also plagued pharaohs before him. This coincided with a decline in the cultural sphere of Ancient Egypt. However, his successful defense was able to slow down the decline, although it still meant that his successors would have a weaker military. He has also been described as a "warrior Pharaoh" due to his strong military strategies. He led the way by defeating the invaders known as "the Sea Peoples", who had caused destruction in other civilizations and empires. He was able to save Egypt from collapsing at the time when many other empires fell during the Late Bronze Age; however, the damage of the invasions took a toll on Egypt. Rameses III constructed one of the largest mortuary temples of western Thebes, now-called Medinet Habu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiye</span> Queen consort of Egypt

Tiye was the daughter of Yuya and Thuya. She became the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III. She was the mother of Akhenaten and grandmother of Tutankhamun. In 2010, DNA analysis confirmed her as the mummy known as "The Elder Lady" found in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35) in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zahi Hawass</span> Egyptian Egyptologist

Zahi Abass Hawass is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, serving twice. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramesses I</span> Founding pharaoh of 19th dynasty of Egypt

Menpehtyre Ramesses I was the founding pharaoh of ancient Egypt's 19th Dynasty. The dates for his short reign are not completely known but the time-line of late 1292–1290 BC is frequently cited as well as 1295–1294 BC. While Ramesses I was the founder of the 19th Dynasty, his brief reign mainly serves to mark the transition between the reign of Horemheb, who had stabilized Egypt in the late 18th Dynasty, and the rule of the powerful pharaohs of his own dynasty, in particular his son Seti I, and grandson Ramesses II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amenhotep I</span> Second Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt

Amenhotep I, Amenôthes I, or Amenophis I, (,) from Ancient Greek Ἀμένωφις, additionally King Djeserkare, was the second Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. His reign is generally dated from 1526 to 1506 BC. He was a son of Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, but had at least two elder brothers, Ahmose-ankh and Ahmose Sapair, and was not expected to inherit the throne. However, sometime in the eight years between Ahmose I's 17th regnal year and his death, his heir apparent died and Amenhotep became crown prince. He then acceded to the throne and ruled for about 21 years. Although his reign is poorly documented, it is possible to piece together a basic history from available evidence. He inherited the kingdom formed by his father's military conquests and maintained dominance over Nubia and the Nile Delta but probably did not attempt to maintain Egyptian power in the Levant. He continued the rebuilding of temples in Upper Egypt and revolutionized mortuary complex design by separating his tomb from his mortuary temple, setting a trend in royal funerary monuments which would persist throughout the New Kingdom. After his death, he was deified as a patron god of Deir el-Medina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setnakhte</span> First pharaoh of the 20th dynasty

Userkhaure-setepenre Setnakhte was the first pharaoh (1189 BC–1186 BC) of the Twentieth Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt and the father of Ramesses III.

Tomb KV60 is an ancient Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. It was discovered by Howard Carter in 1903, and re-excavated by Donald P. Ryan in 1989. It is one of the more perplexing tombs of the Theban Necropolis, due to the uncertainty over the identity of one female mummy found there (KV60A). She is identified by some, such as Egyptologist Elizabeth Thomas, to be that of the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh Hatshepsut; this identification is advocated for by Zahi Hawass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuya</span>

Yuya was a powerful ancient Egyptian courtier during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He was married to Thuya, an Egyptian noblewoman associated with the royal family, who held high offices in the governmental and religious hierarchies. Their daughter, Tiye, became the Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep III. Yuya and Thuya are known to have had a son named Anen, who carried the titles "Chancellor of Lower Egypt", "Second Prophet of Amun", "Sm-priest of Heliopolis", and "Divine Father".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thuya</span> Ancient Egyptian noblewoman of the Eighteenth Dynasty

Thuya was an Egyptian noblewoman and the mother of queen Tiye, and the wife of Yuya. She is the grandmother of Akhenaten, and great grandmother of Tutankhamun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seqenenre Tao</span> Pharaoh from the Seventeenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

Seqenenre Tao ruled over the last of the local kingdoms of the Theban region of Egypt in the Seventeenth Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period. He probably was the son and successor to Senakhtenre Ahmose and Queen Tetisheri. The dates of his reign are uncertain, but he may have risen to power in the decade ending in 1560 BC or in 1558 BC. With his queen, Ahhotep I, Seqenenre Tao fathered two pharaohs, Kamose, his immediate successor who was the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth Dynasty, and Ahmose I who, following a regency by his mother, was the first pharaoh of the Eighteenth. Seqenenre Tao is credited with starting the opening moves in a war of revanchism against Hyksos incursions into Egypt, which saw the country completely liberated during the reign of his son Ahmose I.

Tomb KV21 is an ancient Egyptian tomb located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It was discovered in 1817 by Giovanni Belzoni and later re-excavated by Donald P. Ryan in 1989. It contains the mummies of two women, thought to be Eighteenth Dynasty queens. In 2010, a team headed by Zahi Hawass used DNA evidence to tentatively identify one mummy, KV21A, as the biological mother of the two fetuses preserved in the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitre In</span>

The ancient Egyptian noble Sitre In was buried in the Valley of the Kings, in tomb KV60. She has been identified as the nurse of Hatshepsut. A life-sized statue of her holding Hatshepsut is inscribed with her charge, which is repeated on an ostrakon now in Vienna. Although not a member of the royal family, she received the honour of a burial in the royal necropolis. Her coffin has the inscription wr šdt nfrw nswt In, identifying her as the Great Royal Wet Nurse In.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judicial Papyrus of Turin</span> 12th-century BCE ancient Egyptian record

The Judicial Papyrus of Turin is a 12th-century BCE ancient Egyptian record of the trials held against conspirators plotting to assassinate Ramesses III in what is referred to as the "harem conspiracy". The papyrus contains mostly summaries of the accusations, convictions and punishments meted out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentawer</span>

Pentawer was an ancient Egyptian prince of the 20th Dynasty, a son of Pharaoh Ramesses III and his secondary wife, Tiye. He was involved in the so-called "harem conspiracy", a plot to kill his father and place him on the throne. The details of his trial are recorded in the Judicial Papyrus of Turin; he killed himself following his trial. A candidate for his body is a mummy known as Unknown Man E, discovered in the Deir el-Bahri cache in 1881. This mummy is unusual as it was found wrapped in a sheep or goat skin and was improperly mummified, being left with all his organs. Bob Brier has suggested that this mummy does indeed belong to the disgraced prince; DNA analysis has confirmed a father-son relationship with Pentawer's known father, Ramesses III, with both sharing the same paternal haplogroup and half of their Y chromosomal DNA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Younger Lady</span> Informal name for a mummy found in tomb KV35

The Younger Lady is the informal name given to a mummy discovered within tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings by archaeologist Victor Loret in 1898. The mummy also has been given the designation KV35YL and 61072, and currently resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Through recent DNA tests, this mummy has been identified as the mother of the pharaoh Tutankhamun and a daughter of pharaoh Amenhotep III and his Great Royal Wife Tiye. Early speculation that this mummy was the remains of Nefertiti was argued to be incorrect, as nowhere is Nefertiti accorded the title "King's daughter."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harem conspiracy</span> Successful plot to murder Ramesses III

The Harem conspiracy was a plot to assassinate the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses III in 1155 BC. The principal figure behind the plot was one of the pharaoh's secondary wives, Tiye, who hoped to place her son Pentawer on the throne instead of the pharaoh's chosen successor Ramesses IV, but mainly organized by the court official Pebekkamen. The plotters succeeded in killing the pharaoh but failed to establish Pentawer on the throne. In the aftermath, the leading conspirators were convicted and executed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleoradiology</span> Study of archaeological remains through the use of radiographic techniques

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">317a and 317b mummies</span> Daughters of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun

Mummies 317a and 317b were the infant daughters of the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh Tutankhamun; their mother is presumed to be his only known wife, Ankhesenamun, who has been tentatively identified as the mummy KV21A. They were buried in their father's tomb, which was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Both babies are unnamed, as the coffin inscriptions call them only "the Osiris", so they are known instead by the numbers assigned by Carter during his excavation. They have been examined several times since their discovery, and 317b has been diagnosed with conditions such as Sprengel's deformity and spina bifida, although more recent CT analysis has refuted this. The mummy referred to as 317a is of a girl who was born prematurely at 5–6 months' gestation, and mummy 317b is that of a girl born at or near full term. No cause of death could be determined for either child.

References

  1. "About me | Sahar Saleem". scholar.cu.edu.eg. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  2. "Egyptian Bureau for Cultural and Educational Affairs". new.egyculture.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  3. 1 2 3 Pappas, Stephanie. "Pharaoh Ramesses III Killed by Multiple Assailants, Radiologist Says". livescience.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  4. 1 2 3 Belanger, Lydia (2015-12-31). "Tech Wizardry Solves Mysteries of Egypt's Royal Mummies". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  5. 1 2 "X-ray Sheds New Light On Ancient Mummy". Medical X-Ray Solutions Provider | Mobile Digital Imaging | USA. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  6. Bartos, Nick (October 14, 2016). "Scanning the Pharaohs". Current World Archaeology.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "AUC Press Books Receive International Acclaim | The American University in Cairo". www.aucegypt.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-07.