The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, have been home to non-adult mummified remains since the seventeenth century CE. Despite the increasing numbers of scientific studies conducted at this site, very little research has focused specifically on the youngest members of late modern (1787-1880 CE) society. This research aims to redress the balance by examining 43 individuals to gain insight into the demographic profile of mummified non-adults, to characterize their health status and possible cause of death, and to better understand the funerary treatment offered to the youngest members of society. A portable X-ray unit was used to capture anteroposterior and lateral images of each mummy; this facilitated age estimation, the identification of pathological and/traumatic lesions, and evidence of conservation and the mummification process more generally. This study revealed that regardless of age and health status at the time of death, the mortuary rite performed was primarily influenced by the wealth and social standing of the deceased's kin. No demographic trends were observed in the data and the lack of evidence of metabolic, neoplastic, and traumatic bone lesions suggest these non-adults died from short-term, acute illnesses. Even when individuals did display evidence of chronic health conditions that would have impacted their day-to-day lives (e.g., B035), they were not excluded from this mortuary tradition on the basis of their long-term health and care requirements in life. Artifacts were found with all individuals examined and were associated with the mummification process, conservation of mummies, and/or their display. This research has ultimately demonstrated that non-invasive imaging can be used to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the lives and deaths of non-adults inhabiting late modern Palermo.

Valley, Chile, which dates around 5050 B.C. The oldest known naturally mummified human corpse is a severed head dated as 6,000 years old, found in 1936 at A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions. Some authorities restrict the use of the term to bodies deliberately embalmed with chemicals, but the use of the word t A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions. Some authorities restrict the use of the term to bodies deliberately embalmed with chemicals, but the use of the word to cover accidentally desiccated bodies goes back to at least the early 17th century. Mummies of humans and animals have been found on every continent, both as a result of natural preservation through unusual conditions, and as cultural artifacts. Over one million animal mummies have been found in Egypt, many of which are cats. Many of the Egyptian animal mummies are sacred ibis, and radiocarbon dating suggests the Egyptian ibis mummies that have been analyzed were from a time frame that falls between approximately 450 and 250 BC. The earliest discovered evidence of deliberate mummification in human cultures now extends to approximately 10,000 B.C. and is documented to have existed across Southeast Asia, China, New Guinea, and Australia in burials discovered there, and is prompting research to cultures documented to 20,000 years ago for evidence of use of the same mummification methods. In addition to the mummies of ancient Egypt, deliberate mummification was a feature of several ancient cultures in areas of America and Asia with very dry climates. The Spirit Cave mummies of Fallon, Nevada, in North America were accurately dated at more than 9,400 years old. Before this discovery, the oldest known deliberate mummy was a child, one of the Chinchorro mummies found in the Camarones Valley, Chile, which dates around 5050 B.C. The oldest known naturally mummified human corpse is a severed head dated as 6,000 years old, found in 1936 at the Cueva de las Momias in Argentina. Un…

During excavation campaigns carried out in north-eastern Spain (Aragonese), a well -preserved late 18th century infant mummy was exhumed from the topsoil of El Piquete church (Quinto, Zaragoza). At morphological macroscopical observation, a penetrating lesion lateral to the right knee was identified. The lesion was covered by linen bindings with a circumscribed brownish discoloration. Investigations were carried out with a special focus on the lower tight lesion in order to ascertain whether it had occurred intra-vitam, perimortem or post-mortem. A CT scan was performed to establish the age at death of the infant and to identify possible pathological disorders of the skeleton and internal organs. Histology was performed on the ovoid, deep penetrating lesion in order to determine whether it was vital or was due to taphonomic alterations. The body belonged to a male, 12-16 months old infant. It did not show any pathological disorder apart from the presence of an ovoid deep penetrating skin lesion lateral to the right knee. Histology showed that, apart from the typical postmortem alterations, several small haemosiderin deposits, such as in siderophages, were present, thus indicating, not only the vitality of the ulceration, but also its age of more than several days. We conclude that the infant survived the traumatic lesion for a few days and he most likely died of systemic infection related syndrome (SIRS). This rare case adds to the paleopathological literature on children's possible cause of death.