Mummified Baby Missing

For years, a mummified baby's corpse -- thought to have belonged to an ancestor of the family -- was kept by the Peavey family.  They bought it birthday cards, and even a dried fish for a pet.  After a living relative mentioned the mummy in daycare, authorities seized it and sent it for testing.  Tests proved the mummy was at least "decades" old and had died of natural causes, but could not definitively prove whether or not it was related to the Peavey family, and so a judge ordered it interred in an unmarked grave.

Authorities say the gravesite, unknown to many, had been disturbed over the weekend, and though the casket was retrieved, it was empty.  Mr. Peavey's car and home were searched, but police found no evidence of his involvement in the felony disturbing of a grave.  Peavey's attorney said his client has no information to give them, and was deeply troubled over the matter.

The Peavey family says the child was a family heirloom, passed down for generations.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

France to Return Mummified Heads

First requested in the 1980s, France has decided to return 15 mummified heads of Maori warriors to New Zealand, where they will be sent to the appropriate tribes for burial. The heads were taken as trophies and collectors' items in the 18^th- and 19^th-Centuries by explorers. Some say Maori may have been killed for their tattoos in these collections.

In 2007, a city council voted to return one head, but the decision was later overturned. The bill was almost unanimously backed by authorities this time around. The heads have been on display in various museums throughout France.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Brazilian Mummies Found

Workers searching for termites under a monastery in Brazil uncovered two natural mummies.

The mummies, found under the Roman Catholic Monastery of Light in Sao Paulo, are believed to be those of two nuns. One was found well-preserved, with its hands in the praying position. The other was riddled with termites; it is reported to be mainly just skeletal remains. The mummies were found together - one with its head on the other.

However, an expert archaeologist in the region does not believe the nuns were buried together. They were found in a wall in an area inside the monastery that was used as a cemetery between 1774 and 1822. He believes the mummified nun was buried later and her remains were somehow pushed on top of the other. There is no evidence that either were intentionally mummified.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Mummified Inca Goes on Display

The mummified remains of a girl discovered in 1999 went on display in Argentina this week. Found on Mount Llullaillaco, a volcano in north-west Argentina on the border with Chile, the body was so well-preserved that many have referred to it as "perfect." Only 15 when she was killed, she was found along with the remains of two others -- a younger boy and girl -- and believed to have been ritualistically sacrificed by the Incas approximately 500 years ago.

Incredibly, some are upset with the display, insisting it is disrespectful of the dead. I could be cynical and note that the girl was systematically executed and left where she lay, but why not press the point more clearly:

While it can be argued that such displays are disrespectful of the dead, I believe the more important issue here is whether or not the display teaches us anything of true value. As this exhibition is important for many reasons, across many fields (history, science, weather, medical, cultural, more), I submit that the benefits to the living far outweighs the perceived disrespect of the dead. Don't forget that the girl was most likely sacrificed "for the betterment of the community/tribe," and that is absolutely no different.