Our Forensic Project is related to the complete and precise Study of 9 Anthropoid Sarcophagi and their Mummies, dating from the Ptolemaic Period and kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The Egyptian Collection of the National Archaeological Museum (re–opened in 2008 with an exhibition of more than 1200 objects of the more than 7000 artefacts owned) keeps most of its riches well hidden in the Museum’s storerooms. Among those, we have managed to rediscover some Ptolemaic Period coffins with their mummies. All these particular anthropoid sarcophagi have been published (only with very short descriptions and trials to read the inscriptions) in the Hellenic language in a rather elementary and concise way (with some erroneous points) more than a century ago by Dr Tasos Neroutsos, MD [Neroutsos, T.D.: «Σημειώσεις ἐπὶ δέκα μομίαις ἑλληνο–ρωμαϊκῆς καὶ βυζαντινῆς (sic!) ἐποχῆς», Ἀρχαιολογικὴ ἐφημερίς, Athens 1884, cols 171-80 & pl. 12]. That author was a medical doctor who lived in Alexandria. Since then the coffins have fallen into oblivion, have never been exhibited in the Museum’s showrooms (except one), and nobody else since the late Neroutsos cared to study them accurately. Now after so many years elapsed, a new generation of well–qualified Egyptologists, with the Museum’s collaboration, try to bring into light these forgotten and more or less unknown finds. These coffins have been discovered in Egypt (in Panopolis, modern Akhmim) and were donated to the Hellenic Government during the late 19^th century by wealthy patriots who lived there. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the presence and importance of these forgotten mummies and to present a complete and precise archaeological and forensic study of these 10 sarcophagi, dating from the Ptolemaic Period.

During the 1^st Part of this Project these anthropoid coffins and their hieroglyphic inscriptions were thoroughly examined and published by Drs Maravelia & Kladaki in 2004 [Maravelia, A.–A. & Kladaki–Manoli, E.: «Among the Hidden Treasures of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens: Searching for Forgotten Mummies, 1», Europe, Hellas and Egypt: Complementary Antipodes during the Late Antiquity: Papers from a Session, held at the European Association of Archaeologists 8^th Annual Meeting in Thessaloniki 2002 (Maravelia, A.–A., ed.), Oxford (Archaeopress/BAR International Series, 1218) 2004, 5-20], and by Dr Maravelia in 2005 [Maravelia, A.–A.: «Among the Hidden Treasures of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens: Searching for Forgotten Mummies, 2», Modern Trends in European Egyptology: Papers from a Session, held at the European Association of Archaeologists 9^th Annual Meeting in St Petersburg 2003 (Maravelia, A.–A., ed.), Oxford (Archaeopress/BAR International Series, 1448) 2005, 7-21] (respectively).

The 2^nd Part of this Project includes the CT–scanning, the medical, anatomical and histological examination of the mummies (a rather statistically complete archaeo–anthropological set, including human remains of various ages and of both genders), using modern forensic techniques. This will start during the Spring of 2013 and will be performed by Dr Dr Alicia Maravelia, President of the Hellenic Institute of Egyptology, by Mrs Helen Tourna, Archaeaologist and Responsible of the Egyptian Collection, by Dr Philippos Koutsautis, MD, Chief Coroner and Director of the Forensic Authority in Athens, by Dr Konstantinos Kouvaris, MD, distinguished Anthropologist and Coroner specializing in human remains, by Prof. Dr Stephanos Geroulanos, MD, President of the International Hippocratic Foundation and Prof. Emeritus for the History of Medicine, by Dr Nikolaos Bontozoglou, MD, Radiologist and Director of the CT–Scanning, PET–CT and MRI Section of the Athens Medical Centre, and by Mr Panaghiotis Lazaris, Conservator of Antiquities and Ancient Wood Specialist of the National Archaeological Museum, with the help of the Staff of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. At the final stage of our Forensic Project we are plannng to reconstruct the faces of some of the mummies, as they were in life, most probably of the noble Dancing–Priestess of Min (jxbt nt Mnw), whose name was Takheredmenu (T3-Xrd-Mnw, AIG 3348), of Apion (Hpy, AIG 3340) and finally of the small boy Sekhem (Sxm, AIG 3344). Recently Mrs Helen Tourna has detected another unpublished new mummy from Panopolis, who might be related to one of the previous mummies by a close blood relation! Further information on this will be announced as soon as she publishes this new sarcophagus … The CT–Scanning of the mummies will be performed at the premises of the Athens Medical Centre Group, by a kind Sponsorship of its President.

The Research Team

1. Dr Dr Alicia MARAVELIA: President & Founder of the H.I.Eg., Egyptologist, Archaeoastronomer; General Coordinator of the Project.
2. Mrs Argyro GRIGORAKI, MPhil: Responsible of the Egyptian Collection of the N.A.M., Archaeologist.
3. Dr Nikolaos BONTOZOGLOU, MD: Director of the CT– & MRI–Scanning Unit of the Medical Centre of Athens.
4. Dr Philippos KOUTSAUTIS, MD: Director of the Athens Forensic Authority, Specialized Coroner.
5. Dr Konstantinos KOUVARIS, MD: Specialized Coroner, Anthropologist.
6. Prof. Dr Stephanos GEROULANOS, MD: President of the International Hippocratic Foundation, Em. Professor for the History of Medicine, Em. Professor of Cardiac Surgery.
7. Mr Panaghiotis LAZARIS: Conservator of the Egyptian Collection of the N.A.M., Conservator of Art.

Selected Publications