Vistiors to the Segedunum Roman fort, baths and museum in Wallsend will be among the first people to see the face of Egyptian mummy Bakt Hor Nekht in more than 3,000 years.
The three-dimensional model was created by the Gateshead visualisation and animation company, Visual Impact. Using the results of a CT scan of the mummy at Newcastle's General Hospital in the summer, the firm's team were able to create an accurate, detailed model of her head.
Bakt Hor Nekht, on loan from the city's Hancock Museum while the museum is closed for redevelopment, is encased in an intricately-decorated coffin which can be seen in the Land of the Pharaohs exhibition at Segedunum. The coffin has never been opened, so as to preserve the mummy and also as a mark of respect.
Gill Scott, Egyptologist for the Hancock Museum, says: "We're extremely excited about seeing Bakt Hor Nekht's face for the first time as a three-dimensional reconstruction. Although we already have a forensic-style model of Bakt Hor Nekht as she would have appeared in life, it's interesting to see how the mummification process has affected her. Although the CT footage provides us with fantastic computerised images, seeing the physical reconstruction of the head is quite an eerie experience! It's possible to see her perfectly-preserved pierced ears, as well as a vague outline of the false eyes which were placed over her real ones by the ancient Egyptian embalmers.
"This model will help further our understanding of one of the world's most intriguing ancient civilisations."
The Land of the Pharaohs exhibition includes all of the favourite Egyptian objects that were formerly displayed at the Hancock. The exhibition chronicles everyday life and death in ancient Egypt, exploring themes such as farming, personal adornment, religion and the afterlife. It also includes a number of fascinating objects from the time when Egypt formed part of the Roman Empire. These pieces have been loaned by The British Museum and the Oriental Museum at Durham.
Bakt Hor Nekht, the model of her head and all of the objects in the Land of the Pharaohs exhibition will be displayed at Segedunum Roman Fort until September 8, 2008.
