MSFS Day 2: Ethical Considerations and An Introduction to Mummy Studies

Notes from the Field School: July 24th, 2016

Students hit the ground running for the first day of class at the MSFS. The course began, as any course on mummies should, with an in-depth discussion of the ethical issues associated with the analysis of human remains. The students read Kaufman and Ruhli's Without 'informed consent'?: Ethics and ancient mummy research, which was published in 2010, before coming to class. The majority of the morning's discussion focused on themes presented in this paper. The discussion was led by Dr. Reinhard and enhanced by the perspectives of the other instructors and visiting researchers. The students were at first hesitant to provide their own input, but after awhile they began making interesting points, asking thought-provoking questions, and synthesizing the significance of the topic.

Students take notes during the first day of class at the MSFS.

The discussion emphasized the scientific and cultural viewpoints associated with mummy studies. We talked about how these two different ways of approaching mummies may at times be in conflict in addition to discussing how the perspectives can come together for a broader understanding of the mummies and their lives. Each student provided a slightly different perspective with backgrounds ranging from forensic science, to anthropology, to biology, to political science. This discussion set the tone for the remainder of the MSFS by highlighting the interdisciplinary nature and multifaceted approaches to the field of mummy studies.

Lunch: Day 2

We took a lunch break after our ethics discussion to enjoy delicious baked pasta, stuffed eggplant rolls, and a tasty egg and vegetable bake. A few leftover meatballs were also served along with desserts from the previous night's reception. We all decided we were a bit draggy, so we ended our lunch with a round of espressos before returning for the afternoon lectures.

Afternoon
espresso

As we returned to the classroom full of good food and invigorated with caffeine, the students chatted about how much they had learned already and about their excitement for the rest of the day's events. When everyone had arrived and was settled in for note-taking, Dr. Piombino-Mascali began to introduce the students to the core concepts of mummy studies. Students were captivated by descriptions of various types of mummies and the mummification process. They interjected with questions about analytical techniques, preservation conditions, and medical history associated with mummies. As photo after photo of mummies from around the world flashed upon the screen projected onto the classroom wall, students filled the room with an inquisitive air and allowed their minds to travel to Chile, Greenland, Egypt, Lithuania, and back to Sicily.

Jordan learns about the process of mummification.

Elisa and Mari enjoy the
festivities outside of the church.

After a few hours, the class took a coffee break to a local establishment around the corner from the convent. A few of us were stopped by the festivities occurring just outside of the church were the Blessed Antonio Franco is interred. There were many bouncy houses filled with children sporting faces painted with butterflies and other animals. Music and the sound of laughter danced around us as we watched people enjoying the activities of the festival beneath strings of triangular flags and many colored balloons. We watched the events unfold until it was time to walk back to the convent to talk more about the technical aspects of mummy studies. The second part of the lecture was as stimulating as the first had been prior to the coffee break. Students were given more details about some of the larger mummy projects, such as the Lithuanian Mummy Project and the Sicily Mummy Project. Radiographs, CT scans, and microscopy provided evidence of mortuary practices, diseases, and skeletal pathologies. These discoveries told stories about the lives of the mummies analyzed during the projects. Students integrated themes from the morning's discussion into their questions regarding these important projects.

Dario explains the use of radiography in mummy studies to students.

Before dinner, students took the time to begin their personal reflection journals for the class. They will spend time in the evenings recording their perceptions of the day's topics and documenting their cultural experiences while staying in Santa Lucia. They will turn in these journals at the end of the class for assessment, but are encouraged to retrieve them later for remembering their Sicilian adventure in mummy studies.

Students spend the first day being introduced to the field of mummy studies.

Tomorrow will see lectures about body taphonomy and will bring students face-to-face with mummies interred within the crypt beneath the convent. Students will meet their individual mummies for the first time and will learn how mummy analyses are conducted and documented by professionals in the field. Over the course of the next two weeks, students will be performing visual inspections of these mummies and recording the data for a budding database of Santa Lucia mummies.

Written by Dr. Johnica J. Morrow (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)