Freaky Friday, indeed: The sound of a mummified priest has been heard for the first time in 3,000 years.
UK researchers accurately reproduced a vowel-like tone from ancient Egyptian Nesyamun using a 3D-printed vocal tract.
The synthesized voice (below)—based on precise measurements of his extant vocal tract—resembles a bleating goat. But if you listen carefully (and enough times), it starts to suggest the sound “ahh,” or even the word “bad” or “bed” (slightly drawn out, like a whiny kid might).
To reach this bizarre yet utterly fascinating conclusion, a team of academics from Royal Holloway (University of London), University of York, and Leeds Museum and Galleries scanned Nesyamun’s larynx and throat.
The precise dimensions of an individual’s vocal tract makes their voice unique; for this research to work, the soft tissue of Nesyamun’s vocal tract had to be essentially intact.
Luckily for David Howard (Royal Holloway), John Schofield, Joann Fletcher, and Stephen Buckley (University of York)—who started this project in 2013—it was.
Based on their findings, the team 3D printed a vocal tract that, when used with an artificial larynx, makes a sound I fear will haunt me for days.
“This innovative interdisciplinary collaboration has given us the unique opportunity to hear the sound of someone long dead by virtue of their soft tissue preservation combined with new developments in technology,” Fletcher, a professor in York’s department of archaeology, said in a statement.
The team used a CT scanner to measure Nesyamun’s larynx and throat (via Leeds Museums and Galleries)
Nesyamun lived during what is described as “the politically volatile” reign of pharaoh Ramses XI (circa 1099-1069 BC); he worked as a scribe and priest at the state temple of Karnak in Themes (modern-day Luxor).
Vocalization, according to researchers, was an essential part of his daily rituals, which, though not specified, involved speaking and singing.
The fulfilment of Nesyamun’s desire to have his voice heard in the afterlife (in order to “live forever”) allows scientists to make contact with ancient Egypt.
“It has been such an interesting project that has opened a novel window onto the past and we’re very excited to be able to share the sound with people for the first time in 3,000 years,” Howard said.
This breakthrough has wide implications for healthcare and museum display. But it also conforms to the ancient Egyptians’ fundamental belief that “to speak the name of the dead is to make them live again.”
A full study was published in the journal Springer Nature.
Nesyamun’s remains, considered one of the most remarkable mummies in Britain, can be seen in the Ancient Worlds gallery at Leeds City Museum.
More on Geek.com:
- Attempted Mummy Smuggling Thwarted at Cairo Airport
- U.S. Scientists 3D Print Miniature Human Heart
- New 3D Printing Method Uses Light for Faster, Stronger Models
from Geek.com https://ift.tt/2Roa7kg
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment