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The exact origin of this mummy and painted wooden coffin are unknown. The style of decoration suggests they are almost certainly from the area of Akhmim in Upper Egypt.

For many years the mummy was thought to be male but recent research suggests this is a woman. X-rays reveal that during her life she suffered from childhood malnutrition, a slipped disc, a kidney stone, dental abscesses and a broken toe.

She was born without a fully formed left arm. The arm ended in a stump just above the wrist. An artificial hand was added when the woman was mummified, so that she would have both hands in the Afterlife. The limb was modelled in linen, carefully shaped to fit over the stump and includes an artificial hand equipped with fingers and thumb.

In 1965 this artificial hand was removed for research. It is now kept at the woman's side, as it would cause too much additional damage to return the arm to its original position.

The preservation of a person's name, and the repeating of that name, was very important to the Ancient Egyptians. Unfortunately evidence of this woman's name has been lost as the inscription at the foot of the coffin has been badly damaged.