The face of an ancient Egyptian mummy with an abnormally large brain has been revealed for the first time in 2,300 years. The mummy belonged to the elite of ancient Egypt and the teenager was sadly only 14 years old when he died. Minirdis was the son of a holy family and would inherit the position of his father Inaros, priest of Min, the Egyptian god of fertility, before his death.

However, he died at about the age of 14, and his mummified remains were buried in the Ahmim cemetery in Upper Egypt, where they were found in 1925.

Scientists who are currently trying to repair his face diagnosed the young man with a rare disease. Cicero Moraes, the study’s lead author, said Minirdis had megalencephaly, a disease characterized by an abnormally large brain.

He said: “There was something about the structure that bothered me and when we examined the volume of the skull we were amazed at its size. I realized that the coffin was older than a human mummy, but still the head took up almost the entire space. That’s why the death mask was turned upside down, otherwise it would have been impossible to close the coffin.”

He continued: “A skull may be considered megalencephaly if the head circumference exceeds 2.5 standard deviations for the person’s age and gender. In this case, head circumference and brain volume are three standard deviations higher.”

Minirdis’s likeness was reconstructed using a digitized skull model with added soft tissue; The process was guided by data from living people, including the appropriate age group. Additionally, the donor’s skull and skin structure were virtually recreated and then deformed until it reached the size of Minirdis, revealing its true face.

“This is a young and innocent face. The eyes of a thousand years ago are watching today’s people searching for answers about their past,” Moraes added.

The names of the mummy and his father are known from the inscription on the coffin.

“Since his father was part of the religious elite, it is clear that his life was potentially filled with material and spiritual riches,” Moraes said.

However, despite the diagnosis, the cause of death still remains a mystery. Megalencephaly can be benign but can cause developmental delay, mental retardation, seizures, and even paralysis. Today, Minirdi’s remains are in the collection of the Chicago Field Museum. Source