The mummy revealed

He has lain undisturbed for 2,800 years. Buried on the banks of the Nile, the mummified remains of the Egyptian priest Nesperennub have not been seen since his coffin was sealed in 800BC.

However, using the latest scanning technology, these pictures today reveal his face and skeleton.

The newest medical scanning techniques were used to create the images. First a team at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London used a brain scanner to create pictures of the skeleton inside the coffin. Then a 3D laser scanned the coffin from head to foot, creating an incredibly accurate computer map.

Computer experts have now put the two images together to recreate the inside of Nesperennub's final resting place.

Experts say the pictures have led to several breakthroughs in understanding Egyptian burial rituals. They discovered a pot on the head of Nesperennub, which they believe could be integral to a complex burial ritual. Egyptologists

are currently trying to work out its exact significance.

Dr John Taylor is the assistant keeper at the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum. He said, "The initial results have absolutely exceeded our expectations. An important aspect of using the scans is that we are preserving a valuable scientific resource for future research."

Visitors to the British Museum will be able to see the simulations from 1 July, when the coffin will go on display to the public.

The mummy was acquired by the museum in 1889 in an Egyptian market, where it is thought villagers were trying to sell it.