TYPES OF… MUMMIES AROUND THE WORLD

1 Ice mummies Dated to Pazyryk culture, the Siberian Ice Maiden and her contemporaries were buried in the 5th century BCE. These mummies were buried with elaborate funerary equipment – in the case of the Ice Maiden there were six horses and a symbolic last meal. Her body is covered in a series of beautiful tattoos depicting mythical animals.

2 Mummies of the Canary Islands The Guanche mummies were found on the Canary Islands in the 15th century, when they were discovered by Spanish invaders. Little is known about them – many were pulverised and used as medicinal powders. Dried in the Sun, the mummies were packed with sand and wrapped in animal skins. They were then placed on mummy boards and left in caves.

3 Inca mummies Inca mummies, found in Peru and Chile, are approximately 500 years old. The remains are those of young children sacrificed on the mountains of the Andes in order to honour the gods. Other mummies include those known as the Chachapoyas, which are found in northern Peru. These mummies were mummified in the driest areas of the jungle.

4 Mummies of the Capuchin Catacombs Dated between the late 16th and 20th centuries, the mummies of the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo are magnificent examples of the art of embalming. Thousands of bodies were dried here in ‘strainers’ – cells that are situated in the passageways of the catacombs. After eight months they were removed and soaked in vinegar. Adults and children are placed on display in coffins, niches and on the walls.