Filenews 8 February 2026
Radiologists at Keck Medicine of USC have utilized high-resolution computed tomography to study two ancient Egyptian mummies, revealing in unprecedented detail human bodies that have been preserved for more than 2,000 years. The research focused on the priests Nes Min (c. 330 BC) and Nes Hor (c. 190 BC), who were scanned without being removed from their heavy sarcophagi.
The CT scanner recorded extremely fine incisions throughout the body. The experts then synthesized hundreds of individual images into three-dimensional digital models. These models highlighted details rarely seen in mummies, such as eyelids, lips, and facial bone structure, allowing for a more direct sense of the individual appearance of the people behind the wrappers.
The scans also recorded signs of aging and disease. Nes Min was found to have severe damage to the lower spine, with a collapse of a lumbar vertebra — a picture linked to long-term strain and degenerative wear and tear, similar to that seen today in older people with chronic back pain.
Nes Hor presented a different profile of problems: advanced caries in several teeth and severe wear and tear on one hip joint, lesions that probably caused pain and difficulty walking. The overall condition of the bones shows that Nes Hor reached an older age at the time of his death compared to Nes Min.
The icons also depicted the funerary offerings. Nes Min was buried with small objects in the shape of a scarab and a fish, placed inside the wrappers and invisible for more than 2,000 years. The CT data allowed the measurement and study of these objects without any intervention on the mummy.
After the imaging, visualization experts created digital reconstructions of the skeletons and selected finds. Subsequently, life-size prints of skulls, spines, hips and burial objects were produced with medical-type 3D printers. The replicas will be presented to the public at the California Science Center, next to the mummies themselves and in digital applications, as part of the Mummies of the World exhibition, which opens on February 7.
The same imaging and 3D printing process is also widely used in modern medicine. Hospitals use CT or MRI scans to create digital 3D models of organs, such as the liver, heart, or pelvis, which surgeons study before complex operations. Physical replicas help plan incisions, select implants, and practice critical stages. An important role in this is played by the USC Center for Innovation in Medical Visualization, which has nearly two dozen printers that serve both clinical practice and research projects, such as the study of mummies.
According to doctors, the contact of patients with a natural three-dimensional model helps to better understand the anatomy and the proposed operations, facilitating communication. This research project shows how technologies designed for the care of living patients can also illuminate the lives of people of antiquity, keeping fragile remains intact and revealing evidence about health, injuries and everyday life in ancient Egypt.
