Mystery of the ‘Screaming Mummy’: Archaeologists claim the ancient Egyptian buried with a terrifyingly anguished expression could have been a disgraced prince who was hanged after plotting to murder his pharaoh father 3,000 years ago

The true identity behind a haunting expression of agony, eternalized in death, has puzzled archaeologists for more than a century since a set of unusual remains were first unearthed at the mortuary temples of Deir El-Bahari in Egypt.

Experts say the so-called “Screaming Mummy” was preserved in a way never seen before: her limbs were bound in leather and her body wrapped in sheepskin, indicating she was considered “impure.”

And the mouth was left open, as if it had been poisoned.

After years of speculation, recent research suggests the remains belong to the disgraced son of King Ramses III, who plotted to kill his father and was sentenced to death by hanging.

Experts say the so-called “Screaming Mummy” was preserved in a way never seen before: its limbs were bound in leather and its body wrapped in sheepskin, indicating it was considered “unclean.”

The body was buried close to royalty in the famous tomb on the west bank of the Nile, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

But while others were wrapped in white linen and carefully mummified, the Screaming Mummy was simply left to dry in natron salt, with parts even poured into his open mouth and covered with sheepskin.

The body, also known as ‘Unknown Man E’, is now on display for the first time at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

He was first discovered in 1886, and experts long suspected that the mysterious, haunted-faced man had been poisoned.

But further analysis in recent years suggests that this may not have been the case.

While other bodies were wrapped in white linen and carefully mummified, the Screaming Mummy was simply left to dry in natron salt, with some even poured into its open mouth and covered in sheepskin.

According to Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities, marks around the mummy’s neck show the person was probably hanged.

This coincides with ancient texts about the Harem Conspiracy, which detail the plot by Prince Pentawere and Queen Tiye (the Pharaoh’s son and second wife) to kill Ramesses III.

The body, also known as ‘Unknown Man E’, is now on display for the first time at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

DNA extracted from the bones of the unidentified mummy and Ramses III indicates that the Screaming Mummy is the son of Ramses III, according to Ahram Online.

“The gruesome mummy of Unknown Man E, also known as the ‘Screaming Mummy,’ has long puzzled scholars,” Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, a former Minister of Antiquities who headed the Egyptian Mummy Project, told Al-Ahram Weekly.

‘Such an unusual mummification has baffled Egyptologists and no one had managed to learn the story behind such a mummy until the launch of the Egyptian Mummy Project several years ago under my direction to create a comprehensive database of forensic information related to the Egyptian Museum’s mummy collection.’

The death of Ramses III was gruesome and there are still many mysteries surrounding the details of his assassination.

CT scans showed her throat and big toe had been cut off, likely in an attack by multiple assailants.

Although the papyrus suggests the conspirators were arrested, the events of the trial were not recorded and it was not stated whether Ramses III was actually killed as a result of the plot or not, according to the Ministry of Antiquities.

The body was first discovered in 1886 at the mortuary temples of Deir El-Bahari in Egypt (pictured)