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Two-year-old female mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (case 8). AP radiograph of the head, chest, and abdomen shows the moderately shrunken, symmetrical radiopaque cerebral hemispheres; parts of the right lung; the slightly shrunken radiopaque liver; and the left kidney. Image quality is reduced because of the superimposition of the lead-lined coffin.
Context in source publication
Context 1
... liver was demonstrat- ed in four mummies as a shrunken radiopaque organ (Figs 5b, 6b, 7c, 7d, 8). Slightly radiopaque kidneys were depicted bilaterally in two mummies (Figs 5b, 7c, 7e) and on the left side in a third mummy (Fig 8). External genitalia were demon- strated on four male mummies. ...
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Some interesting taxa in the Museo Civico of Niscemi (Natural History Section) (Caltanissetta, Sicily).
Citations
... Although the systematic review only included published records in PubMed, the authors demonstrated that CT analyses might be used to confirm previous conventional studies of paleopathologies and eventually identify traumatic injuries. Moreover, consistent with other findings (Jackowski et al., 2008;Panzer et al., 2010;Öhrström et al., 2021), the authors demonstrated the prevalence the typical destruction of the nasal skeleton due to the removal of the brain and identified traumatic fractures as well as chronic degenerative changes of skeletal bones and arteriosclerosis were reported in a subfraction. Finally, general consensus has been expressed in favor of using three-dimensional visualization in mummy studies. ...
... Finally, general consensus has been expressed in favor of using three-dimensional visualization in mummy studies. It is also worth mentioning that 14 records evaluated the presence of skeletal diseases (Jackowski et al., 2008;Panzer et al., 2010;Dalchow et al., 2012;Schamall et al., 2012;Schmidt et al., 2013;Saleem and Hawass, 2014;Fritsch et al., 2015;Márquez et al., 2015Márquez et al., , 2015Piombino-Mascali et al., 2015;Villa et al., 2015;Traversari et al., 2016;Beckett et al., 2020;Yatsishina et al., 2020;Öhrström et al., 2021), although some of them were heavily criticized (Beckett et al., 2020, Bianucci et al., 2021a, Bianucci et al., 2021b, Bianucci et al., 2021c. Of note, the majority of the records categorized in this subtheme, described and evaluated common and uncommon bone pathologies while Fritch and coworkers described severe rotator cuff arthropathy and rotator cuff impingement (Fritsch et al., 2015). ...
Mummies are the well-preserved remains of humans or animals in which non-bony tissue has been maintained naturally or artificially. Their significance lies in their contribution to paleopathological research, which involves understanding the history and evolution of diseases and providing insights into past populations’ cultural and social practices. In recent years, mummies studies used nondestructive methods, including modern imaging techniques, to assess the main pathological features of these unique human remains. This mini-review focuses on the role of paleoradiology in mummies’ studies and describes the history of mummy radiography and CT scanning over the last fifteen years. The search strategy was conducted between January and April 2023. One thousand one hundred twenty-four records (1124) were initially identified, and 52 studies were assessed for qualitative synthesis. Three main themes and four subthemes were identified, providing a general overview of the role of paleoradiology or offering methodological guidelines. Also, subthemes assessed the role that the use of radiology has in the diagnosis of specific pathologies. Therefore, imaging techniques in ancient human remains might help understand the history and evolution of past and present diseases and their risk factors.
... Although the systematic review only included published records in PubMed, the authors demonstrated that CT analyses might be used to confirm previous conventional studies of paleopathologies and eventually identify traumatic injuries. Moreover, consistent with other findings (Jackowski et al., 2008;Panzer et al., 2010;Öhrström et al., 2021), the authors demonstrated the prevalence the typical destruction of the nasal skeleton due to the removal of the brain and identified traumatic fractures as well as chronic degenerative changes of skeletal bones and arteriosclerosis were reported in a subfraction. Finally, general consensus has been expressed in favor of using three-dimensional visualization in mummy studies. ...
... Finally, general consensus has been expressed in favor of using three-dimensional visualization in mummy studies. It is also worth mentioning that 14 records evaluated the presence of skeletal diseases (Jackowski et al., 2008;Panzer et al., 2010;Dalchow et al., 2012;Schamall et al., 2012;Schmidt et al., 2013;Saleem and Hawass, 2014;Fritsch et al., 2015;Márquez et al., 2015Márquez et al., , 2015Piombino-Mascali et al., 2015;Villa et al., 2015;Traversari et al., 2016;Beckett et al., 2020;Yatsishina et al., 2020;Öhrström et al., 2021), although some of them were heavily criticized (Beckett et al., 2020, Bianucci et al., 2021a, Bianucci et al., 2021b, Bianucci et al., 2021c. Of note, the majority of the records categorized in this subtheme, described and evaluated common and uncommon bone pathologies while Fritch and coworkers described severe rotator cuff arthropathy and rotator cuff impingement (Fritsch et al., 2015). ...
... Until recently, researchers have principally focused on the adult human remains at this site, whilst juveniles have been largely overlooked with the exception of a small number of individuals (e.g. Panzer, et al., 2010;2013;. There is very little documentary evidence that provides details about the children that were granted mummification, though it is believed that those offered this funerary treatment belonged to families with wealth. ...
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (Sicily) are a unique and culturally rich site utilized from the late sixteenth to mid-twentieth century. The Catacombs are home to the largest collection (n = 1,284) of partly or completely mummified remains in Europe, and the largest assemblage of juvenile mummies (n = 163) in Sicily. As a result, the site attracts thousands of visitors every year. This raises a number of ethical concerns in terms of the preservation, display, and scientific analysis of these mummies. This article will investigate the ethical challenges associated with the display and analysis of juvenile mummified individuals in the Capuchin Catacombs. Initially, ethical issues that arise when displaying mummified children at a visitor site will be explored. Subsequently, the value of adopting non-invasive techniques to answer highly focused, ethically grounded research questions will be addressed. Furthermore, this article will demonstrate the importance of transparent, open dialogue with religious groups and cultural heritage bodies in the study of juvenile mummies. Recommendations for best practice are provided at the end of this paper. These guidelines aim to ensure that juvenile mummies are displayed and analysed appropriately, whilst simultaneously respecting the beliefs and wishes of the living and deceased.
... However, the extensive size of the catacombs and the poor state of conservation of most of the bodies may prevent a thorough investigation of this enormous "bioarchive" of Sicilian history. Started in 2007, the Sicily Mummy project has provided, up to now, few isolated reports on CT scan analyses (Panzer et al. 2010(Panzer et al. , 2013, paleonutrition, paleobotany, entomology, and bacteriology (Piombino-Mascali et al. 2011;Pinar et al. 2014). ...
... Sicily boasts other catacombs connected with religious orders (National Geographic Society, 2009); but only the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo were a place of burial open to the lay population. After the unification of Italy in the late nineteenth century, mummification and disposition in the Catacombs were prohibited by municipal law due to hygienic rationales (Panzer et al., 2010(Panzer et al., , p. 1124) and an outdoor public cemetery, still in use, was opened immediately to the west (Farella, 1982, pp. 92-94). ...
... The Project's publications fall firmly in the 'hard', biological sciences and assume the goals, methodologies and investigative technologies relevant to these disciplines. Dubbed a 'precious bioanthropological resource' (Piombino-Mascali et al., 2012, p. 341), the objects of investigation are considered repositories of significant, quantifiable biological data, both the mummies themselves (Panzer et al., 2013(Panzer et al., ,2010Piombino-Mascali et al., 2012Sineo et al., 2008) and their physical environments (Pinar et al., 2014;Piiiar, Piombino-Mascali, Maixner, Zink, & Sterflinger, 2013). Indeed, to date, there has been but minimal consideration of the site or the mummies from the perspective of social theory. ...
... After perishing from pneumonia at the age of 2 in 1920, Rosalia was embalmed by local chemist, Dr Alfredo Salafia, who later became an internationally acclaimed pioneer of embalming science (Piombino-Mascali et al., 2009). Her body, in a glass-topped, wooden casket, was originally placed in the Catacomb's Chapel of Santa Rosalia where it remained until the first decade of the twenty-first century when two stages of scientific investigation were conducted (Panzer et al., 2013(Panzer et al., , 2010. Subsequently, the wooden casket was placed in a larger, sealed metal and glass display case and was moved to 'the Family Room', a chamber at the far periphery of the Catacombs that features a variety of mummies of men, women and children, alone and in nuclear family groups. ...
... However, the extensive size of the catacombs and the poor state of conservation of most of the bodies may prevent a thorough investigation of this enormous "bioarchive" of Sicilian history. Started in 2007, the Sicily Mummy project has provided, up to now, few isolated reports on CT scan analyses (Panzer et al. 2010(Panzer et al. , 2013, paleonutrition, paleobotany, entomology, and bacteriology (Piombino-Mascali et al. 2011;Pinar et al. 2014). ...
There exist numerous crypts and catacombs in churches and cemeteries that harbor mummified human remains. Due to burial customs these are most frequently detected in European countries, mostly as the result of spontaneous (natural) mummification. Beyond those mummies, occasionally artificial mummification has led to permanently preserved bodies. These were performed as either dry or wet type of embalming. All mummified human bodies may represent important information about life, living conditions, diseases, and causes of death
in historic populations; they represent a “bio-archive.” Although many mummies
seem to be present in numerous locations, only a small number of them have been
as yet investigated scientifically. This scientific analysis has been performed by
various techniques: anthropological examination, CT scans and/or X-rays, histology
and isotope analysis, molecular studies for human and microbial DNA,
paleobotany, and many more. In this chapter, the available observations from
numerous locations in different countries have been compiled. In most instances,
only data from series of mummified bodies have been collected; single mummies
have only occasionally been considered. The series come from Italian and
German churches, several findings from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary
and Lithuania, and isolated cases from almost every country.
... (a)-(e) Control cases (nos[1][2][3][4][5]: skin slides observed with Lillie's staining (400Â), with evident and well-preserved chromatin in all skin samples. The samples had been taken in the bilateral calcaneal region, in well-preserved cadavers at four different times since death (PMI¼4, 8, 12, 16 and 72 hours). ...
The skin is rarely considered as good biological material for successful DNA typing when a corpse is found in a leathery, mummified or partially skeletonised state, as bones and teeth are the gold standard in these cases. This study evaluates the histomorphological aspects of nuclear chromatin (Lillie’s staining) in leathery and mummified skin samples as an indicator for possible successful DNA typing. Chromatin was found in samples that underwent mummification or partial skeletonisation but not in samples in a wet type of post-mortem transformation, such as saponification or leathery transformation. As a preliminary result, a positive detection of DNA profiles was only observed in 1-year-old mummified or partially skeletonised samples. These findings suggest that specific areas of skin, even from severely deteriorated cadavers, can show nuclear chromatin and DNA. These preliminary results raise the potential use of skin samples as an alternative source of DNA in highly degraded corpses.
... For sex determination 12 characteristics were examined. [9][10][11][12][13] Paleoradiological examination was performed at the same place and using the same equipment and technique as the examination in 2012 [1]. Of St. Augustine's skull, anterio-posterior (AP) and lateral (L) conventional radiographic images were made. ...
Kristóf, Lilla Alida: Paleoradiology: non-invasive methodological possibilities in historical anthropology. Doctoral thesis, Doctoral School in Biology, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Biological Anthropology, Szeged, Hungary, 2015. pp. 70-84.
... Interdisciplinary investigations of post-medieval church crypts have recently been under- taken by different specialists in order to synoptically compare the archaeological, historical, anthropological and ancient DNA records [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. However, the available biographical data are not always sufficient to unambiguously correlate historical records with the preserved human remains, especially when looters have disturbed the integrity of the coffins. ...
... None of the mummified individuals showed signs of an artificial mummification. No inci- sions were visible on the trunk, such as described by Mylius [74] and Colleter et al. [75] for Central Europe, and the skulls were intact so that no removal of the brain or other organs has taken place, such as seen by Piombino-Mascali in Sicily [5,76]. Remnants of the shrunken brain, heart, aorta and trachea were observable on the CT images. ...
... The abdominal cavities were largely empty in comparison to the thoracic cavity as a consequence of putrefaction and organs comprising less connective tissue [77]. No foreign materials, such as embalming substances, plugs or plants, were introduced into the body cavities, as seen in other post-medieval mum- mies [5,74,78]. The mummified skin was dry, of leathery appearance and grey or brown colour with no observable embalming substance on it. ...
To date, anthropological comparative studies are rare from Switzerland. Therefore, this research aims to make a comparison between the alpine individuals from Zweisimmen (14th–19th c.), and 17 other rural and urban populations from Switzerland all dating to the medieval and early modern period. An osteoarchaeological analysis was carried out on the rural population of Zweisimmen, consisting of 134 skeletons. For each individual the arm position and orientation were observed in the field, while preservation, representation, sex, age, stature, trauma, and pathologies were recorded in the laboratory. These results were compared to data from published and grey literature in order to gain a better understanding of chronological and regional patterns in Switzerland. A chronological development was observed in the orientation, arm position, and use of a coffin, which suggests a change in burial practices and beliefs throughout time. The demographic profile represents a natural mortality, however, children and especially neonates are underrepresented in this sample. Some individuals were buried in groups, suggesting simultaneous burial caused by a period of increased mortality. Thus, the palaeopathological findings suggest that the living conditions in rural alpine Zweisimmen were similar to those of other contemporaneous populations, as well as those living in an urban setting.
... As medical history and physical examination are not available for paleopathological studies, knowledge of the cultural environment, such as diet, typical diseases, general life circumstances or mummification and ritual practices, may provide additional information[13,24]. Therefore, pathological or conspicuous radiological findings should be interpreted within the cultural history[4,7,12,[25][26][27]. In this study, CT was applied to an Inca mummy bundle from the Museum of Cultures in Basel, Switzerland. ...
Objective
In this study, an Inca bundle was examined using computed tomography (CT). The primary aim was to determine the preservation status of bony and soft tissues, the sex, the age at the time of death, possible indicators for disease or even the cause of death, as well as the kind of mummification. A secondary aim was to obtain a brief overview of the wrapping in order to gain additional information on the cultural background.
Materials and methods
The bundle belongs to the Museum of Cultures in Basel, Switzerland, and was bought in Munich, Germany, in 1921. Radiocarbon dating of the superficial textile yielded a calibrated age between 1480 and 1650 AD. The mummy was investigated using multi-slice CT with slice thickness of 0.75 mm and 110 kilovolt. For standardized assessment of soft tissue preservation, a recently developed checklist was applied.
Results
CT revealed the mummy of a seven to nine year old boy with superior preservation of bony and soft tissues allowing detailed assessment. Indicators of neurofibromatosis type 1 (paravertebral and cutaneous neurofibromas, a breast neurofibroma, sphenoid wing dysplasia), Chagas disease (dilatation of the esophagus, stomach, rectum, and large amounts of feces), and lung infection (pleural adherence, calcifications), probably due to tuberculosis, were found. Furthermore, signs of peri-mortem violence (transection of the chest and a defect in the abdominal wall) were detected. CT images revealed a carefully performed wrapping.
Conclusion
CT examination of the Inca bundle proved to be an important non-destructive examination method. Standardized assessment, especially of the soft tissue structures, allowed for diagnoses of several diseases, indicating a multi-morbid child at the time of death. The careful wrapping pointed to a ceremonial burial. Within the cultural background, the signs of fatal violence were discussed as a possible result of war, murder, accident, or human sacrifice.
