A team of researchers from the University of Manchester and the British Museum have used micro-CT scanning to reveal that a 2,100-year-old Egyptian mummy, previously thought to contain a hawk, actually contains the remains of a stillborn baby.

The mummy was discovered in the early 20th century in the Egyptian city of Thebes, and was originally believed to contain the remains of a falcon or hawk, which were considered sacred animals in ancient Egypt. However, micro-CT scans conducted by the research team revealed that the mummy actually contained the remains of a human baby, likely stillborn, that had been wrapped in linen and resin and placed in a coffin shaped like a hawk.

The scans showed that the baby was approximately 28 weeks old at the time of death, and that it was likely a male. The baby's bones were well-developed, but the skull was not fully ossified, indicating that it was stillborn.

The researchers believe that the baby may have been mummified in the shape of a hawk in order to give it a better chance of reaching the afterlife, as hawks were associated with the god Horus, who was believed to help guide souls to the afterlife.

The discovery provides new insights into the practice of mummification in ancient Egypt, and highlights the importance of using modern imaging techniques to study ancient artifacts.