18. Smallpox Strikes Again
The 3D imaging allowed the researchers to determine, with certainty, that smallpox was indeed the cause of the mummified woman’s death. When examined more closely, her smallpox lesions were blistered. This evidence indicated the woman likely endured a very high fever before her death, which was a common cause of death in smallpox victims. Her case of smallpox was so severe that the lesions penetrated her skull and had damaged the membrane surrounding her brain. They determined that the mummy likely slipped into a coma for at least some time before her death.