Jingszo !

Highlights

•A large crocodile mummy was studied using digital radiography and CT scanning

•A radiodense fish hook and a small fish were visible in the stomach

•Following data segmentation, the fish hook was recreated using stereolithography

•Wax replicas of the fish hook were created from the STL file

•Bronze replicas of the fish hook were investment cast using the lost wax method

The application of non-invasive radiography (X-ray and CT) to an ancient Egyptian crocodile mummy demonstrated a high level of corporeal preservation achieved through artificial embalming.

Analysis revealed numerous anomalies within the abdomen of the crocodile which merited further investigation using digital three-dimensional modelling technologies.

Improving the clarity of the CT scan data enabled the authors to identify the anomalies which included a metal fish hook and a small fish.

Segmentation of the CT scan data enabled the virtual extraction of the hook from within the confines of the mummy and its replication, firstly in plastic and then in its original material, bronze.