3,500-year-old mystery mummy rests in Liverpool

A 3,500 years old Egyptian mummy evacuated during a World War Two blitz by German bombers finally returned to Liverpool Thursday after an absence of 74 years.

The remains of the male, who died in his 20s, played a vital role in the scientific exploration in the 1960s of the world's most famous mummy, Tutankhamun.

Methods pioneered by anatomists at the University of Liverpool on their unnamed mummy were used to carry out the first x-rays on boy king Tutankhamun in 1968.

It was more than 100 years ago when the then head of archaeology at Liverpool, Professor John Garstang, returned to Britain from an expedition to North Africa. With him on the journey home was the unnamed mummy whose remains were contained in a coffin belonging to a Roman woman.

The university's Gina Criscenzo-Laycock explained: "The mummy's name is not known, nor is it clear where in Egypt he lived.

"All our team know about the man is that he lived around 3,500 years ago during the 18th dynasty - like Tutankhamun - and died in his mid to late 20s, although it is not clear what he died of. Examination of his teeth, which are in very good condition, suggests he was likely to have held a relatively high status when alive. Often the teeth of the poor in Egyptian society were very worn."

A new air-conditioned final resting place has been created for the mummy at the university's museum of archaeology.

The museum, named in honor of Professor Garstang, will be opening its doors Friday evening as part of a city-wide late night celebration when public buildings will stay open after normal closing times.

The mummy was evacuated in 1941 for safe-keeping during a massive bombing blitz on Liverpool, housing until today out of public view in the university's anatomy department.

The mummy will take up his new public position in the museum in a climate controlled display case. Endit