'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
New details are emerging about a discovery that stunned researchers last year, when they found a fetus preserved within a pregnant Egyptian mummy.
In a blog post earlier this month, updating what is believed to be the first known case of a pregnant mummy, Polish researchers said the fetus appeared to be "pickled."
The mummy was found in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes and dates back to the first century. The mummified woman, whom the researchers call "The Mysterious Lady," was 20 to 30 years of age and between 26 and 30 weeks pregnant before she died.
Researchers say the pH level of blood declines substantially in corpses, included in the uterus, resulting in high concentrations of ammonia and formic acid. This, combined with the natron that was used as a preservative during the mummification process, creases a uterus that is "almost hermetically sealed," the researchers wrote.
The researchers liken the inside of the mummified uterus to a swamp, an environment that is known to preserve human remains quite well. Numerous ancient naturally-preserved mummies -- known as "bog bodies" -- have been discovered within swamps and wetlands across the world.
"In our case, we have two different mummies, because there were two different mummification processes," the researchers said. "The fetus was in an acidic, 'bog-like' environment that later dried-up during the embalming of the mother. During the mummification process, the deceased woman was covered with natron, a naturally occurring in Egypt sodium, in order to dry the body."
Because of the acidic environment, the fetus's bones were partially decomposed. Researchers liken it to how an eggshell will dissolve if placed in a pot filled with acid.
"The eggshell is dissolving, leaving only the inside of the egg (albumen and yolk) and the minerals from the eggshell dissolved in the acid," they explained.
Because of the lack of bones, the researchers note that fetuses in mummies aren't easily visible in X-ray images, meaning that there may be more mummies of pregnant women in other museum collections.
"The Mysterious Lady died together with the unborn child, and by examining her, we restore their memory. We remember that it was a long-lived person who had her dreams, probably loved ones and was loved. Now she reveals to us the secrets she took with her to the grave," the researchers wrote.
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.