The enigma of a 3,500 year old Egyptian mummy, whose face has been frozen in an eternal 'scream', has baffled scientists for nearly 90 years.

Believed to have passed away at the age of 48 during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (1479 – 1458BC) in Luxor, Egypt, the cause of her death remains a mystery, but experts have long feared it was potentially as harrowing as the look of horror etched on her face. The identity of this "screaming woman" is largely unknown, but her haunting visage has intrigued archaeologists since her discovery.

Unearthed in 1935 by an archaeological team from the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the "screaming woman" continues to fascinate experts nearly a century later. Her well-preserved remains were found in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian official, and now, scientists believe they may have finally solved the longstanding riddle of her expression.

Originally, it was suspected that her jaw's open position was due to subpar mummification practices. Some speculated that the embalmer might have been hurried or lacked expertise, failing to secure her mouth closed before entombment.

However, with the progression of technology, scientists believe they may have uncovered the chilling truth behind her tormented scream. The theory is truly horrifying if accurate, reports <a href="https://www.themirror.com/news/weird-news/horror-discovery-sinister-egyptian-mummy-1079168" rel="Follow" target="_self">the Mirror US</a>.

Anthropologist Samia El-Merghani of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and radiologist Sahar Saleem of Cairo University suggest the woman "died screaming".

In a study published in Frontiers in Medicine, the duo wrote: "Here we show that she was embalmed with costly, imported embalming material. The mummy's screaming facial expression in this study could be read as a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died screaming from agony or pain."

A cadaveric spasm is a rare form of muscular stiffening that occurs at the moment of death and persists into the period of rigor mortis. However, it is a contentious topic, with some scientists arguing its non-existence.

This phenomenon typically occurs where death follows significant and prolonged muscular tension, often associated with "violent deaths under extreme physical conditions and intense emotion".

Saleem further explained in a press release: "We suggested that the reason for this opened mouth could be due to a painful death or emotional stress and cadaveric spasm made her face frozen to the appearance at time of death,".

"Embalmers were unable to close the mouth and mummified the contracted body before it decomposed or relaxed, preserving her open mouth after death."

A 'virtual autopsy' conducted on a mummy's corpse revealed astonishing details, showing her well-preserved organs and teeth. The woman was estimated to be about 48 years old and stood at 1.54 metres tall, approximately 5 feet, when she passed away.

She also suffered from conditions like spinal arthritis, evidenced by bone spurs on her vertebrae. Her teeth showed signs of early forms of dentistry.

Additionally, the ancient lady sported a wig crafted from braided date palm fibres, with remnants of juniper and frankincense coupled with various minerals found within it. While there remains some contention among experts over whether the woman experienced pain prior to her demise, researcher Saleem remarked that her remarkably conserved body "is a true time capsule of the way that she died and was mummified".