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How Did Mummies Sound?

When Egyptian priest Nesyamun died more than 3,000 years ago his departing wish was that he be allowed to speak in the afterlife so he could address his gods, and be granted entry into eternity.

Now, with the help of science, the holy man has indeed found his voice after death.

Academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, University of York and Leeds Museum scanned the mummy of Nesyamum, 3D printed his vocal tract then played soundwaves through it to create an impression of how the priest might have sounded.

So far, the only noise they’ve created is a nondescript bleat, sounding something like ‘beh’ but the researchers are hoping to use computer modelling to recreate words and even sentences.

The experts said it allowed people to ‘make direct contact with ancient Egypt by listening to a sound from a vocal tract that has not been heard for over 3000 years.’

And they want to eventually try the technique on other famous ‘heads’, and bring back the voices of notable figures. More from The Telegraph.