Archaeologists have made a shocking discovery after a re-examination of a mummified teen mom who died in childbirth more than 1,500 years ago.

A team at George Washington University conducted computed tomography (CT) scans on the body, uncovering a baby’s head lodged in her birth canal and another fetus stuck in the chest cavity.

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins.

The team speculates that the older twin was breeched and died of traumatic fetal decapitation, while the younger one detached from the uterus and migrated into her rib area.

Archeologists found a baby's head inside the pelvis of a mummified woman who died during child birth in ancient Egypt. The team believes the baby was breeched and accidentally decapitated

Archeologists found a baby's head inside the pelvis of a mummified woman who died during child birth in ancient Egypt. The team believes the baby was breeched and accidentally decapitated

Archeologists found a baby’s head inside the pelvis of a mummified woman who died during child birth in ancient Egypt. The team believes the baby was breeched and accidentally decapitated

The woman’s remains were unearthed in 1908 at the El Bagawat cemetery in Egypt’s Kharga Oasis located in the Western Desert.

The Kharga Oasis was first settled about 50,000 years ago and played a crucial role in ancient Egypt’s economy and military.

The woman is believed to be 14 to 17 years old at death and was buried with her arms at her sides and feet tied together by rags.

She was also layered in ‘a great quantity of salt,’ which has drying properties that dried the body out entirely.

The researchers used field notes from 1908 during their work, which showed the previous archaeologists unwrapped the body, removed her arms, macerated the femora and made an incision on the abdomen.

The scans of the mummy showed another fetus stuck in the chest cavity

The scans of the mummy showed another fetus stuck in the chest cavity

The CT scans identified the baby inside the upper left chest cavity of the mummy, showing long bones, ribs, neural arches, crania, and five bones of the hand

The CT scans identified the baby inside the upper left chest cavity of the mummy, showing long bones, ribs, neural arches, crania, and five bones of the hand

The scans of the mummy showed another fetus stuck in the chest cavity. The CT scans identified the baby inside the upper left chest cavity of the mummy, showing long bones, ribs, neural arches, crania, and five bones of the hand

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby in a tomb, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins. Pictured are scans of the body found with the woman

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby in a tomb, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins. Pictured are scans of the body found with the woman

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby in a tomb, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins. Pictured are scans of the body found with the woman

The notes also mention a decapitated baby in between her legs, covered in a sheet and layers of salt.

The CT scans identified the baby inside the upper left chest cavity of the mummy, showing long bones, ribs, neural arches, crania, and five bones of the hand.

While the initial discovery mentioned the first twin, the notes did not include mention of another fetus.

‘This fetus went previously undiscovered,’ the team wrote in the study published this month in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

The team was able to date the age of death in the children to between 36 and 40 prenatal weeks, proving they were twins.

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby in a tomb, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins. Her remains were first discovered in 1908 (pictured)

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby in a tomb, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins. Her remains were first discovered in 1908 (pictured)

The woman, who was no older than 17, was laid to rest with the decapitated baby in a tomb, which led experts to believe she was unknowingly pregnant with twins. Her remains were first discovered in 1908 (pictured)

The original field notes did not give a cause of death, but using the evidence, photographs and CT scans, researchers concluded it ‘was fetal head entrapment during the breech presentation of the fetus.’

‘The discovery of the fetal head in the pelvic inlet demonstrates conclusively that stalled labor occurred,’ the study reads.

‘Breech presentation of the fetus likely caused the stalled labor.’

The team also noted that this was a rare event – it happens only 0.14 0.14 per 10,000 live births.

How the second fetus migrated to the chest cavity is not yet clear.

‘It is possible the unknown baby was mummified along with the other internal organs, the study reads. 

‘During the mummification process, the diaphragm and connective tissues in that area would have dissolved, allowing for the unborn baby to move up into the chest cavity.’ 

Researchers said the discovery emphasizes how dangerous childbirth was during ancient Egyptian times.

‘Childbirth in ancient Egypt was considered a religious event, not a medical one. While medicine in ancient Egypt is well documented, pregnancy is not,’ the shared in the study. 

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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