Egyptian Mummy Mother Who Died Giving Birth to Twins + Photos

According to the Saed News Society Service, citing an ILNA reporter, an ancient Egyptian mummy containing one fetus in the birth canal and another mysteriously lodged in the chest cavity—the first known case of its kind—reveals that the mother died while giving birth to twins.

A new study of the remains of an unborn fetus in the headless mummy of a teenage Egyptian girl indicates that she died during childbirth.

When archaeologists excavated the mummy in 1908 and unwrapped its bindings, they discovered the bandaged fetal body. Field notes from the time suggest that researchers concluded the fetus belonged to the mummified female—a girl aged between 14 and 17 who lived in ancient Egypt (circa 712–332 BCE). Researchers cut open the mother’s abdomen and found the fetal skull trapped in the birth canal, indicating that she died due to complications during labor.

A century later, scientists discovered a second fetus, which had mysteriously lodged itself in the girl’s chest cavity.

Francine Margolis, an independent U.S.-based archaeologist, commented, “This is the first mummy of its kind ever discovered. While many mummies and known deceased women died during childbirth, no comparable case had previously been found in Egypt.”

3D imaging revealed that the previously unreported fetal remains were lodged in the girl’s chest. Researchers conducted X-rays on the mummy to obtain a clearer view of the remains. For the new study, published on December 21 in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, the team re-examined the mummy and the external fetus to confirm the cause of the teenager’s death. They also reviewed and collected notes and photographs from the 1908 excavation.

Margolis said, “When we saw the second fetus, we realized we had a unique and unprecedented find for Egyptology. We also confirmed that the girl died after the first fetus’s head became trapped in the birth canal.”

Analysis from 2019 indicated that the mother was approximately 5 feet (1.52 meters) tall and weighed between 100 and 120 pounds (45–55 kilograms). The new study noted that her small stature and young age may have contributed to the unsuccessful twin birth.

“The mother’s mummified head is missing, limiting our understanding of her health,” Margolis explained. “If her skull and teeth were intact, we could have conducted tests on her teeth and hair to learn about her diet and metabolic stress during her life. Currently, that information is unavailable. It’s also unclear how the second fetus came to rest in her chest. Researchers suggest that the diaphragm and other tissues may have disintegrated during mummification, allowing the small body to move upward.”

The study also sheds light on the challenges of childbirth in ancient Egypt. Historical records indicate that twins were not always welcomed by society. A papyrus from the Third Intermediate Period (1070–713 BCE), known as the Oracle Spell Papyrus, even offered spells to mothers aimed at preventing the birth of twins.