Research into ancient mummies carried out at Maidstone Museum, including work on an Egyptian baby that was mistaken for a bird for hundreds of years, has contributed to an international summit on the subject.

Two academic papers were accepted for inclusion in the programme for the Extraordinary World Congress on Mummy Studies (WCMS) in Tenerife, which brought together scientific experts from across the globe between May 21 and 25.

The first paper, presented by Dr Andrew Nelson of the University of Western Ontario, Canada, examines the findings of CT scans carried out on a rare baby mummy in the museum’s collections, stillborn at 23 to 28 weeks of gestation, and with a rare condition called anencephaly, in which the brain and skull fail to develop properly.

Anencephaly is known to have genetic causes, but most recently has been associated with the Zika virus.

The baby mummy - believed to have been donated to the museum by Dr Jobson Horne in 1925 - is one of only two known Egyptian foetuses with the condition, and the only one to undergo CT scanning and analysis.

However, it was only in 2016 that the relic's true identity was revealed, having been thought for centuries to be a 2,300-year-old hawk.

Dr Nelson said: "As an anthropologist, I'm interested in what [the mummification] means culturally.

"We don't know a lot about its original context but certainly foetuses had a role in magic in ancient Egypt and so there may have been an aspect of that in play here.

"But it would have been a tragic moment for the family to lose their infant and to give birth to a very strange looking foetus, and so the family response was to mummify this individual which was very rare in ancient Egypt.

"There are only about six or eight which are known to have been mummified so this was a very special individual indeed."

The second paper ‘From Ta-Kesh to Ta-Kush’ explores the importance and benefits of digital and touchable interpretation for making heritage more accessible.

This paper was submitted jointly with FaceLab at Liverpool John Moores University, who worked with the museum on the re-interpretation and 3-D visualisation of Ta-Kush, the museum’s adult mummy.

Sam Harris, curator at Maidstone Museum, who co-authored the papers said: “We’re thrilled to contribute to the Mummy Congress and to have our research debated by international experts.

"Part of our work at the museum is to better understand the items in our care and to further our knowledge of the past to share with the public.

"The inclusion of these papers is recognition of our on-going efforts in this respect.”

Paul Harper, chair of Maidstone Borough Council's Heritage, Culture and Leisure Committee, added: “It’s extremely gratifying to hear that the museum’s work is being recognised on the international stage.

"Not only does it help to raise the profile of the museum and the excellent work it undertakes, it also demonstrates the professionalism and dedication of the team who work there.

"The new Ancient Lives gallery is a clear example of how this work can enhance the visitor experience for everyone.”

Findings from the papers may now feature in journals and other publications, thus further exhibiting the museum's work to a global audience.

This year’s congress also marked the 25th anniversary of the WCMS, and launched an international exhibition showcasing rituals used to commemorate the dead and the advances made in the scientific study of ancient human bones during the past 25 years.