Can we recreate the voice of a 3,000-year-old mummy?
In short: For millennia, the voice of the Egyptian priest Nesyamun has been silent. But using CT scans and 3-D printing, scientists have successfully reconstructed a single vowel sound from his remarkably intact vocal tract, bridging a massive gap between the ancient world and modern technology.
Researchers reconstructed the life of Nesyamun, who served as a scribe and high-ranking priest within Thebes' Karnak state temple. Living during the turbulent reign of Pharaoh Ramses XI (c. 1099–1069 B.C.), Nesyamun's life involved ritualistic chanting and singing. His remains, which have been at the Leeds City Museum for nearly 200 years, offered a rare scientific opportunity: a surprisingly intact vocal tract stretching from the larynx to the lips.
To achieve this, researchers used a process described by the 'Voices from the Past' Project. They utilized CT scans to map the precise dimensions of Nesyamun's vocal tract and then 3-D printed a physical replica. This artificial organ was connected to a device called the Vocal Tract Organ, which mimics a human larynx's acoustic output. While this method has been used on living subjects, this experiment marks the first time technology has been used to recreate the voice of a deceased individual.
The result was a brief, vowel-like sound that media outlets have described as a groan or an exasperated 'meh.' While the sound is underwhelming—capturing only a single vowel rather than running speech—it serves as a vital proof-of-concept. To recreate full speech, scientists would need to master the specific phonetics, timing, and articulations of the ancient language. However, this breakthrough demonstrates that if soft tissues are sufficiently preserved, the unique sounds of the past may one day be heard again.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: David M. Howard: Can we recreate the voice of a 3,000-year-old mummy?
- Also: Listen to the Recreated Voice of a 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy
- Also: Synthesis of a Vocal Sound from the 3,000 year old Mummy, Nesyamun ‘True of Voice’ - Scientific Reports
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