The Conservation of Egyptian mummies in Italy

Abstract

The conservation of mummies and human remains in Italian collections is a relatively new field. The earliest scientific studies of mummies date back to the 1960’s, but the first systematic use of CT (Computed Tomography) – scan on human mummies had to wait until the 21st century. The main interest of these studies was what was inside a mummy, with less attention paid to the textiles and related materials. Conservation of mummies has faced a series of problems: historical pillaging, past treatments, museum or storage environments, natural decay of organic material, and exhibition requirements. This paper illustrates the main cleaning and supporting techniques used in Italy by two case studies, both of which have parts of the bodies exposed. One is from the Egyptian Museum in Turin (Inv. Cat. 2218) and the second is kept in storage in the Vatican Museums (Inv. 25004). I faced the same problems with both, but resolved them in different ways.

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