As an interdisciplinary research field, paleopathology focuses on the occurrence and progression of ancient diseases and their development in societies. Mummified bodies, historical human objects, and hominin fossils are valuable materials for answering questions about the passage of history, human origins, and timeline phylogeny. Since mummies and antiquities are very rare, in addition to examining and evaluating them, they must be preserved with the utmost care and delicacy. Conventional methods only performed on the data acquired from the study of the external properties of materials, and these approaches limited the study of human phylogeny. Computed tomography (CT) has an important role in criteria development and morphological characteristics of a human, which led to the establishment of a new field of research called paleoradiology. Rapid progress in CT reconstruction tools such as maximum intensity projection (MIP), multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), shaded surface display (SSD), and volumetric rendering technique (VRT) provided better visualization of the anatomical and pathological disorders and malformations in mummies. Also, a CT scan is one of the most frequently utilized methods to look for mummified pathology without any physical destruction or damage to its surface. Some analytic methods including microbiology and biochemistry require direct contact with the objects and mummies. At the same time, most museums and researchers of cultural heritage have emphasized the use of non-invasive techniques e.g. CT. In archaeological surveys, it is suggested that more consideration should be given to applying these reconstruction tools since it provides the interpreter with a comprehensive understanding of the diagnosis.
KEY WORDS: Paleopathology; Image reconstruction; Anthropometry; CT scan.
YANG,K. & WANG,D. Morphometrical assessment of brain of human remains and historical objects by medical imaging technologies: Promising intelligent systems. Int. J. Morphol., 43(3):1097-1103, 2025.
