UK museum discovers fetus in sarcophagus

Researchers at the UK's Maidstone Museum recently discovered that a mummy long-thought to be a hawk is actually a miscarried fetus.

Experts put the gestational age at roughly twenty weeks. If that estimate is supported by further study then the mummified human remains will be among the youngest known.

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The truth about what has been in the tiny sarcophagus for the past 2300 or so years was revealed via CT scan.

A collections manager at the Kent institution commented thanks to the CT scan they were able to learn much more about the collections in a non invasive way without damaging the integrity or condition of the artifacts.

The fetus was actually the second surprise workers received within a single week.

Scanning also revealed that a mummified woman, believed to be about 14 years of age at the time of her death was more likely in her mid twenties if not older.