![]() The new technique, known as atomic number imaging, instead uses two kinds of x-rays to peer inside stuff and figure out the hidden composition based on a material’s atomic number-one of the defining characteristics of a chemical element. But this can present challenges for mummies: As they get older, their skin and muscles dry up and become denser, while the bones lose marrow and become less dense. ![]() Such scans can tell the difference between muscle and bone based on their relative density. Typical CT scans use a single type of x-ray to take images of an object from multiple angles and then create a digital image of the insides. While the exact ages of these mummies are unknown, feline mummies were fairly common in Egypt from about 600 B.C. The new kind of CT scan has been successfully tested on cat mummies from the collections of the South Australian Museum. Archaeologists may soon unravel the mysteries of ancient Egypt using a new imaging technique that offers a better look inside mummies without removing a single piece of wrapping.
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