In 1971, the Rosicrucian Museum in California hosted Egyptian priests that contained a surprise.
Two decades later, a team of scientists discovered the shocking truth: the mummy contained evidence of advanced heart surgery performed 2,600 years ago. Inside the mummy’s chest was a 23 cm long metal screw, inserted by extremely advanced biomechanical techniques not known in the technology of the time.
Usérmontu: Mummy of an Unknown Origin
When the Rosicrucian Museum received the ancient cap in the 1970s, they did not know that it still contained mummies. However, later investigations discovered that this mummy was not the first from the sacophagus; It belonged to a person called Usérmontu, “the power of Montu.” This mummy was placed in the coffin of Usérmontu during the transition period from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom (between the 16th and 11th centuries BC). The mummy is 1.5 meters tall and has red hair.
In August 1995, Professor C. Wilfred Griggs of Brigham Young University in Wyo-ming, USA, and among other experts, examined six mummies stored in the Rosicrucian Museum, among which was the mummy of Usérmontu, before carrying out a delicate operation. They were amazed when the X-ray revealed a 23cm long metal screw in the last part of a mummy.
Ancient or modern? A report from Brigham Young University (BYU) suggests that from these X-ray results, it is impossible to conclude that metal implant technology has existed since ancient times. Professor Griggs believes the screw was used to secure the leg to the rest of the body in modern times.
“I assume the screw is a modern artifact. “I think we can determine how the screw was inserted into the leg and maybe even guess what time it was implanted in the body,” Griggs said in a report published by BYU. “I just thought it would be interesting to note, ‘Someone has an ancient mummy and put a modern screw in to join the leg and the body.’”
Determining the Nature of the Screw
Dr. Griggs, Dr. Richard T. Jackson, Dr. E. Bruce McIff, and a team of scientists from Utah Valley University’s Department of Medicine embarked on a careful process. The team drilled into the bone to insert a small camera and examine the screw, while also taking samples of the bone and metal.
A team of scientists discovered traces of ancient plastic, similar to the bio-cemented plastics used today, in addition to the appearance of ancient textile fibers similar to those used in the fabrics of ancient Egyptian bandages. The results suggest that this highly technical method was perfected in ancient times, about 2,600 years ago.
