Scientists Recreated a Sound From an Egyptian Mummy After 3,000 Years

Reanimating an Ancient Egyptian Priest Using Technology

Science has progressed immensely. In 2020 scientists managed to reproduce a sound coming from the vocal tract of an ancient Egyptian mummy. To hear an imitation of a voice that had been silent for more than 3,000 years was a remarkable feat. The mummy belonged to an Egyptian priest named Nesyamun, who lived around 1100 BC. Scientists scanned his throat anatomy using advanced imaging techniques and digitally rebuilt it to produce a unique vowel-like sound.

How scientists got sound out of remains preserved

They made a very detailed 3D model of the mummy’s vocal tract, which was remarkably well preserved, using CT scans in a complicated process. The digital model was then turned into a physical object through a precise 3D-printing technology and wired up to an electronic larynx, a specialised device now routinely used by people who have lost their natural voice. The fascinating experiment finally produced a unique, consistent sound that mimicked a human vowel, giving a rare and eerie glimpse into what a living person from ancient Egypt might have sounded like.

A new audio window into old civilisations

"The primary aim of the project was not to reproduce full working speech, but to demonstrate how modern technology can bridge the distance to ancient cultures," the research team said. This successful proof of concept opens up new immersive possibilities for modern museums and global historians, with future visitors potentially being able to converse with historical figures via sound. The study demonstrates how the combination of archaeology and innovative science can be a powerful tool for preserving history, revealing intriguing details of ancient civilisations that were thought to be lost forever.