Fayum mummy portraits, also known as mummy portraits, are portraits that depict a mummified person. These were found in Egypt in the 17th century and are believed to date back to 1 BCE-3 CE. From Greek settlers, to Romans and Egyptians, these mummy portraits show how multicultural Egypt was at the time, under Roman rule.
Luckily, many of these paintings have been preserved, so we can now know the faces behind (and, in this case, on top of) the mummies. Click through the following gallery and discover the fascinating history behind the Fayum mummy portraits.