Mummy Monday: Piraino 1

Thanks for joining us again for Mummy Monday! Now that we have met our first mummy, The Blessed Antonio Franco, let us now turn our attention to a mummy with a bit more anonymity. Today, we feature a mummy from the crypt of the Piraino Mother Church in the village of Piraino within the province of Messina, Sicily. This mummy, known as Piraino 1, is one of 26 mummies within the crypt that belong to religious dignitaries dating from the late 18th-mid 19th centuries. This mummy was inspected in 2008 with support from the National Geographic Society for evidence of pathology. The mummy was found to have dental calculus, dental enamal hypoplasia, pleural adhesions, spinal arthritis (moderate), and lytic lesions on the skull, ribs, and femur. 

A human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) egg
recovered from Piraino 1.

A coprolite from the mummy revealed the presence of whipworms (Trichuris trichiura). Intestinal contents were also examined for the presence of botanicals, such as seeds, fruit tissues, and pollen grains. The archaeobotanical work revealed that this mummy died during months of low pollination and had been eating grapes prior to death. This indicated that the mummy likely died between September and November. The mummy also had a high concentration of Polygayla sp. pollen in the gut, which was likely used medicinally in life to treat lung disease and skeletal pain experienced by this individual.

Piraino 1 being examined in the Piraino Mother Church in 2008 by Arthur C. Aufderheide (left) and Dario Piombino-Mascali (right).

Mummies Profile: Piraino 1

Lived: During the late 18th and mid-19th centuries

Sex: Male

Occupation in Life: Religious Dignitary 

Status: Mummy of Religious Significance

Age at Death: 35-50

Cause of Death: Likely from multiple myeloma

Place of Interment: Piraino Mother Church 

Societal Importance in Death: This is one of several religiously significant mummies. The analysis of this mummy has revealed a great deal about the individual's life and final days.

When Students Will Meet This Mummy: During the second week of the field school.