Currently, the study of Pazyryk mummies is entering a new phase. This is due to the development of science in general and the possibility of attracting new methods and approaches to their research. The article is devoted to the results of magnetic resonance imaging of a mummy from mound 1 of the Ak-Alakha-3 burial ground, discovered in 1993 on the Ukok plateau (Gorny Altai). This is the only undisturbed and "frozen" burial of a noble Pazyryk woman in the entire history of studying this culture. According to the results of the tomographic examination, a number of diseases were diagnosed, which made it possible to determine the possible cause of death of the woman, as well as to assess the quality of her life. The data obtained in the course of the study confirms the assumption about her special status - "the chosen one of the spirits".
Key words: magnetic resonance imaging, Pazyryk culture, Ukok plateau, mummy of a woman, causes of death.
Introduction
Applying the principles of computer graphics. 3D reconstruction and morphometric analysis made it possible to use various mapping methods, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in paleoanthropology [Scherf, 2013]. In recent decades, post-mortem MRI has been developed in clinical practice primarily for forensic applications [Ribeiro et al., 2013, p. 659].
At the same time, such pathomorphological changes as pulmonary embolism, brain hemorrhages, tumors, traumatic brain injuries, pericardial tamponade, aortic dissection, myocardial infarction, and even coronary thrombosis in the subacute phase are well visualized by contrast-free MRI, reliably revealing the cause of death [Jackowski, 2012; Jackowski, Grabherr, and Schwendener, 2013]. Modern nondestructive imaging techniques provide fundamentally new opportunities for archaeology. So, with the help of X-ray computed tomography, the prevalence of atherosclerosis during the ancient Egyptian civilization has already been proven [Thompson
The study was funded by a grant ...
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