VHO- A group of scientists is trying to find an explanation why dozens of children were mummified and buried in a crypt at a monastery on the Italian island of Sicily.
A fully clothed child mummy at the Capuchin catacombs. Photo: Reuters
The above research will be led by Associate Professor of Bioarchaeology at Staffordshire University Kirsty Squires in the UK. Fieldwork will begin next week.
At the Capuchin Catacombs, a macabre tourist site in Palermo, northern Sicily, researchers will analyze the remains of 41 children buried in a room specifically for children. The research was conducted on 41 mummies, but in fact there were 163 children buried in the crypt.
Associate Professor. Kirsty Squires said in an interview with CNN: “We wanted to understand the previous lives of these people. More specifically, about their health and development. From there, we have a basis to compare biological data.”
Associate Professor. Squires depict mummies fully clothed. Some children were placed in cradles and chairs while other mummies were propped upright with sticks to stabilize their position.
Currently, little is known about these children but it is believed that they were probably buried between 1787 and 1880 and are part of the largest mummy collection in Europe. This collection includes at least 1,284 mummies.
“We know that they came from middle-class families because the embalming ritual was reserved for wealthy individuals from the aristocracy, middle class and clergy. Therefore, we can confirm that they are not the poorest segment of society. Typically, embalming was carried out in catacombs from about 1599 to the early twentieth century. This is a method used by ancient people to “keep them still present in society after death”, said the person leading the research.
According to a press release from Staffordshire University, the research team will use X-ray imaging as a non-invasive research method. This method helps ensure ethical issues when not violating human remains. The age of the mummies will also be estimated as accurately as possible based on dental scans as well as the completeness of the bones. It is expected that research data will take several months to be published.
