Making an infant mummy: Analysis and experimental investigations of how to prepare a 19th century infant mummy

• Andreas G. Nerlich ^[1] ; Stephanie Panzer ^[2] ; Pascale Rocker ^[1] ; Oliver Peschel ^[3]
  1. [1] lnstitute of Pathology, Academic Hospital Munich-Bogenhausen
  2. [2] Department of Radiology, Trauma Center Murnau and PMU Salzburg
  3. [3] lnstitute of Legal Medicine, Universíty Munich

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• Localización: Canarias Arqueológica: Arqueología-Bioantropología, ISSN 1888-4059, Nº. 22, 2021 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Symposium in memoriam Arthur C. Aufderheide the scientist, the friend ( 1922-2013)), págs. 437-447
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The identification of an exceptionally well-preserved infant mummy from early 19th century Naples - born to a high Bavarian general and court offlcer - provides an excellent example for the efficiency of the mummification procedures at that time. We identified an autoptic removal of various inner organs, the reduction of the muscle mass of both thighs and shanks, the filling of the empty body cavities with cotton and spices with a mixture of sodium- and potassium- sulphate as the main constituents of the conservation, but no use of any other flxative, such as heavy metal.These features parallel the embalming techniques of early 18th century France. In order to evaluate the feasibility of that procedure, we applied the procedure to a comparable piglet of 10kg weight. The procedure proved to be easily performed and very efflcient with an excellent outcome after severa! months under typical storage conditions.