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The “three sisters” is a particular group of mummies from the Drovetti collection of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. They were purchased in 1824 by King Carlo Felice of Savoy for the new Museum. The mummies come from the area of Tebe in Upper Egypt. Their names are Tapeni (CGT 13002–Cat. 2215), Tamiu (CGT 13003–Cat. 2218), and Renpetnefert (CGT 13007–Cat.2231). They were evaluated the same day with multidetector CT (GE Light Speed Qx/I). In all three cases whole body CT helical acquisition with thin slices (2.5 mm thickness, 1.25 mm reconstruction interval) followed by multiplanar and 3D reconstructions were performed. Stature, anthropometric measurements, sex, and approximate age, were estimated. Also embalming techniques, condition of the skeleton and of the soft tissues, and the presence of foreign objects were analyzed. The similarities and differences of embalming methods were also evaluated. To our knowledge, there are no other reports of CT studies on mummies belonging to the same family. We believe these results are of particular interest for archaeology and computed imaging technology.

Facial reconstruction of mummies and corpses in general is important in anthropological, medical, and forensic studies. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the role of MDCT examination for 3D facial reconstruction and report the results of multidisciplinary work performed by radiologists, anthropologists, and forensic police in reconstructing the possible physiognomy of an ancient Egyptian mummy.Three-dimensional MDCT data were obtained from a well-preserved, completely wrapped Egyptian mummy from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Torino, Italy, which dated from the XXII or XXIII dynasty (945-715 BC). Data were used as a model for the rapid prototyping stereolithographic technique, a method that allows the creation of a 3D model with digital data using synthetic materials such as a resin or nylon.The physical creation of the face was accomplished with boosting techniques performed by the progressive layering of plasticine on the nylon model according to the anthropometric data, the conditions of the soft residual dehydrated tissues, and the most accepted scientific and anthropological criteria. CT is the only noninvasive method for obtaining fundamental data for 3D reconstructions of the skull and the body, especially with wrapped mummies.Our multidisciplinary cooperative study produced a model of the face of an individual who lived nearly 3,000 years ago, which would not previously have been possible unless we unwrapped, destroyed, and altered the conservation of the bandages and the mummy.

Les deux articles qui suivent sont dus respectivement a Anna Maria Donadoni Roveri, qui relate une experience d'eclairage par fibres optiques realisee au Musee des antiquites egyptiennes de Turin (ou elle est conservatrice en chef), et a Pier Enrico Gurlino et Carlo Albana (techniciens de la societe Luceper, qui a mis en place l'installation), qui expliquent les avantages de ce nouveau type d'eclairage museal.