Stories from Sicily: Pollen, Pronunciation, Pathology, & a Party at the Piazza

Today was packed full of lectures, Italian lessons, mummies, and, of course, a festival for eggplants! The day's blog post was written by Carri Lupton.

Sunday, July 30th, 2017

Today began with, you guessed it, coffee and brioche at the Poker Bar. Fast becoming the favorite breakfast joint among the students. The locals spot us coming and greet us with ‘good mornings’ and smiles. We started off our lessons with a few lectures from Dr. Reinhard, who animatedly taught us about the nuances among pollen grains, especially those of Polygala and Myrtaceae. Following this, he spoke about the pollen interactive we were instructed to finish prior to the school, on a homicide case from Nebraska, involving a female whose head had been wrapped in plastic. This allowed for the recovery of differential pollen types between those on the skull and those on the rest of her exposed body. He finally introduced a few case studies from embalming jars encasing organs of the Medici Family. We were shown the differences between wind and insect pollen, herbaceous and arboreal pollen, in addition to ambient and contamination pollen types.

Dr. Reinhard with his pollen presentations

After a short break, Katia, our Italian instructor, once again tested us on simple introductions and greetings. We were given a crossword that consisted only of food words, a teasing gesture as we all impatiently awaited lunch. She proceeded to show us mouthwatering images of Italian cuisine, as we fumbled our way through the correct pronunciations. I’m sure most of us were more focused on the possibilities of what lunch Carmelina would surprise us with, than the actual Italian manner of ordering food. Either way, we can now all say with conviction: Preferiamo il cioccolato invece delle lezione Italiane!

Lunch came with mixed reactions from the students. Carmelina made a seafood pasta that consisted of spaghetti noodles, a tomato and caper sauce, garnished with… squid. Typically eaten in the States as fried calamari, the appearance of steamed squid frightened some and intrigued others, overall causing a semi-frenzy among the table. Bread was available as usual, and also typical of every meal we’ve had here, halfway devoured before the main course even arrived. Caprese salads were also served, and as a surprise, Carmelina produced two plate-fulls of the beloved chocolate sausage, or as Dr. Piombino-Mascali told us was named, salame Turko. We finished the meal with a much needed espresso.

The afternoon brought with it adventures in the crypt, where each group was re-assigned a new mummy for taphonomic, morphological, and analytical reflections. Dr. Piombino-Mascali joined the group, and we were first appointed the task of reviewing our previous findings with our first mummies with Dr. Piombino-Mascali, a somewhat daunting task as he is the mummy guru and go-to guy for all things anthropological. He wowed us with his quick analysis, and fortunately aided our group efforts with the second mummies. With his input, we were all able to find anomalous features in the bones, soft tissue, and with the help of Dr. Morrow, Dr. Orijemie, and Dr. Reinhard, evidence of pollen and insect activity. Because of the success of the crypt examinations, we all decided we would like to visit again at night to reproduce the ambiance and religious meaning behind the crypt by lighting candles and viewing the bodies inside the coffins, in addition to the repertoire of bones in the ossuaries.

Dr. Piombino-Mascali explains what to look for on a mummy

Students take notes about their mummy

Carri gets a closer look at her groups' mummy

We were privileged with a long break after our crypt studies and before dinner, allowing most of us to catch up with our families and friends. Dinner was amazing, as usual, consisting of the juiciest roast chicken, cheese, salad, pears and plums, and you guessed it, loads of bread. Afterwards, the much awaited eggplant festival showcased music, several types of prepared eggplant, and games for children in a carnival-like atmosphere. As much fun as the locals were having dancing to songs with some serious skill, somehow all of us ended up at our favorite joint, the Poker Bar, sharing jokes, granita, and gelato. Solo il meglio!

Probably the BEST baked chicken ever consumed!

Yes, they have a festival for eggplants. It includes music, dancing, and lots of fun!

Stories from Sicily: A Field Trip You Can't Refuse

Today's trip to Savoca was full of fun stories! Here's a few from MSFS, Alexis Kelly.

July 29th, 2017

A view from Savoca

As normal, the morning started with cappuccinos and croissants at the Poker Bar. We were then off to the bus to make the trip to Savoca. I was told the views were great, but all I saw was the inside of my eyelids, so I have to take everyone’s word for it. Upon arriving to Savoca, it immediately was a different style place than what we have been used to seeing in Santa Lucia del Mela and Piranio. This was more of a tourist attraction and it was exciting for those who have seen the movie, The Godfather. 

A bar used in the filming of The Godfather

Our first church of the day

We trudged up hill (a common thing for the day) to get to the first church. This was a 13^th century church and it was beautiful. There were five alters that were for different patron statues. The second church we stopped in was dedicated to Mary, the Mother Church. This was the church where mummification took place. The third church we went to was in danger; it is in the process of being restored. This was the church of Saint Michael. Most of the students, myself included, purchased items that the proceeds went to the restoration of the church. In addition, we paid to visit the churches so that our money also went towards the restoration. We then made our way back down the hill to get some souvenirs and wait until it was time for lunch. 

Our second visit was to the Mother Church

Dr. Piombino-Mascali reveals the entrance to the crypt

This way to the last church of the day 

Restoration in progress at the Church of Saint Michael

We were invited to have lunch in the same convent where the mummies that we came to see are kept. Lunch was prepared by Claudia and it included a delicious pasta with peas, mushrooms, and sausage. As if it couldn’t get any better, there was a SECOND COURSE! This was beef in a lemon sauce and salad, and then, of course, fresh fruit was served afterward. During lunch, Siegmund Wagner, a German artist that lives in Savoca, joined us. Siegmund created beautiful paintings of the mummies that we were about to meet, so it was great to get to talk with him about his work and connection with the mummies.

Lunch at the convent

Pasta with sausage, tomato, and peas (a.k.a. Boscaiola)

Our second course was veal scallopini with a lemon sauce and a fresh salad on the side

Now for the crypt! As many of my fellow students saw, I was very excited and couldn’t contain it. There were 17 mummies that we saw, most of which were nobility in status, however, because there were no labels the identities of the mummies were lost. Each student studied a mummy more in depth and later explained what they saw to the rest of the group. The mummy I chose caught my attention because of how well-preserved he was; however, many of them were well-preserved for how old they are. 

Entrance to the crypt from the church

Alexis shares with the class what she has observed from her mummy

Off to the museum!

Thanks to the generosity of Santo Lombardo, the director of the Historical and Ethno-Anthropological Museum of the City of Savoca, we were able to enter free of charge. The museum had ceramics and tools, pieces of The Godfather iconography, as well as an area for the mummies that we had previously seen. Dr. Piombino-Mascali had a display table made by a family from Santa Lucia del Mela to hold a very special set of items relating to the mummies. These items were instruments belonging to the late Dr. Art Aufderheide, also known as "the father of mummy studies", who worked on these and many other mummies across the world. The cloth beneath the instruments was made from the same fabric as that we saw on the pillow of the Blessed Antonio Franco. One of Dr. Piombino-Mascali's family members stitched the trim on the cloth.

Lights, camera, and action!

In memory of a great Paleopathologist and Mummologist, Dr. Aufderheide

Dr. Aufderheide's priceless tools; donated my Dr. Piombino-Mascali. 

Of course, we had to make a gelato stop. It wouldn’t be a day in Italy without gelato or granita. Then it was back to our own convent in Santa Lucia del Mela for dinner. Carmelina made pork, mushrooms, and rice which was delicious…of course. Today was definitely one of my favorite days and just makes me more excited for the rest of this trip!

Pork and mushrooms

Rice, meat, and vegetables 

Stories from Sicily: Big Hearts and New Adventures

Today, we took our first field trip. The day's blogpost was written by Brianna Haberyan.

Our Ride up to Piraino

Today was a very eventful day! We went to three different churches, a crypt, and a medieval tower. We started the day by leaving the convent and walking down the very steep hill to get our lunches from our chef, Carmelina. Then we got on the bus to head to Piraino. We were very surprised to see a large charter bus! I was expecting something much smaller. We all got on the bus and began our adventure!

Meeting Padre Carlo and Dr. Marcello Mollica

The bus ride to Piraino was, for the most part, uneventful. When we got closer to the town, we realized how steep and curved the roads were. A few of us (myself included) were very nervous about this part of the trip, but we made it safely and we were all very impressed by the bus driver. When we arrived, we were met by Padre Carlo the main priest of the town. He was very excited to see us, and took many pictures throughout the day. Before heading to any churches or crypts, we stopped at a local cafe for granitas and brioche. I had an "Angelica" granita, which is strawberry and lemon together. After admiring the amazing views from the cafe, we headed to the first church. It featured many old fresco paintings. We also learned about the history of Catholicism in Sicily and about the nature of the paintings featured in the church. Next we headed to the second church, where we spent a majority of the day.

Chiesa del Rosario (Church of the Rosary)

The "Mother Church" was a beautiful church that housed some of the most elite crypt spaces of the city. When we walked in, Padre Carlo was playing on an authentic organ that he restored. This church also featured a crypt for saints and some of the wealthy. Before going into the crypt, we had a lecture by local cultural anthropologist, Dr. Marcello Mollica. He described the history of the church, crypt, and the complicated process to get buried there. After the lecture we went into the crypt! We learned about the preparation, storage, and upkeep of mummies. We also compared the similarities and differences between this crypt and the ones we visited in Palermo and Santa Lucia del Mela. For me, it was really helpful to discuss the reasons behind the differences such as how the mummies were stored (vertically vs horizontally) or level of decomposition.

Dr. Piombino-Mascali shows off his musical skills.

Dr. Mollica tells us the history of the Mother Church

Brie goes down into the crypt.

Dr. Reinhard feeling pumped about the mummies!

After visiting the crypt, we paused for lunch and then headed to a medieval tower. We climbed up a some spiral staircases and were met at the top by an amazing view of Piraino and the surrounding area.

Climbing the tower after climbing the hill.

Visiting the last church.

For our last stop in Piraino, we went to another church. It was a small chapel featuring a room full of wall paintings. These paintings depicted Jesus's life and crucifixion. While it was a small church, it added more depth to our understanding of  Catholicism in Sicily.










Finally, we ended the day with a trip to the beach. We swam in the Mediterranean Sea and hung out at a local restaurant. It was a really wonderful way to end a busy day! The best part of relaxing at the beach was knowing that we would have another fun-filled field trip the next day.

A beautiful sunset to complete the day. 

Stories from Sicily: Peering into the Past, + a Pig

Today's entry was written by our friend from Philly, Maggie McManus.

Behold the Wild Pig!

Thursday, July 27th, 2017

Waking up to the beautiful Sicilian sun streaming into our rooms from the windows never gets old. We began the day with, you guessed it… chocolate croissants and cappuccinos from the Poker Bar! A cappuccino and croissant always ensures the we start off the day with a big smile on our face.

After breakfast we headed back to the convent for Dr. Reinhard’s lectures on mites and mummy

Dr. Reinhard talks about taphonomy 

taphonomy. Dr. Reinhard began by showing us pictures of different mites that can be found on or around mummies like the ones we’re studying in the crypt. Finding mites and identifying them is super important to mummies as it can tell us a lot about how an individual’s body was treated after death and its condition. Taking this into account, it was very interesting that we didn’t find mites in our samples taken from the crypt. Dr. Reinhard talked to us about mummy taphonomy and his work on Peruvian Mummies during the nineties. Mummy Studies has really changed in recent years as invasive procedures like autopsies are avoided in order to maintain the integrity and preserve the mummy.

Polpettone with zucchini

Pasta with tomato base sauce

After a delicious lunch of pasta, meatloaf, zucchini, and fruit, it was time to head back down into the crypts to do some mummy analysis. We were split into different groups and assigned one mummy to try and determine the age, sex, and other distinguishing features about the individual. The mummy that Tommy, Alexis, and I examined, we decided, with the help of Dr. Reinhard and Dr. Morrow, was a young man between the ages of 18-25. There was also some interesting insect activity and fungal growth that we saw on our mummy. Other groups identified individuals that may have had pathologies such as gout and DISH that we could see on the skeleton itself, which was pretty cool. Overall, the examination of mummies was a great way to apply what we have learned so far in Sicily!!

Students take down mummies for analysis. 

Students work together to carefully take down the mummies

Ruth and Christina share their findings

Brie, Emuobosa, and Kylie take turns sharing their observations.

Maggie, Tommy, and Alexis present to the class their mummy

Carri, Chase, and Emily talk about their mummy.

Haley and Mari show the class their analysis.

We finished off the day with a quick gelato break at the Poker Bar and then a delicious dinner of homemade pizza and the Italian version of pigs in a blanket!! Everyone was stuffed, but that didn’t stop us from having a late night snack at the new restaurant, Cannizzu, who had invited us for snacks before the big opening day! They served us some delicious pork that came from a whole roasted wild pig, which is a rare and expensive delicacy here! Overall, it was a great way to end the day with wonderful toasts and bonding time with the entire field school.

A special night at Cannizzu.

Wild Pig, a delicacy. Made just for the Mummy Studies Field School.

Stories from Sicily: Into the Crypt

Today's post is by the now-expert traveler, Kylie Ham.

July 26th, 2017

Today started like every other day, with a delicious chocolate croissant and cappuccino at the Poker Bar. Despite how great of a start that is to the day, nothing can compare to the amazing rest of the day that we had. The day that all of the students have been waiting for was finally here... It was finally time to head down to the crypt to see the mummies. However, before we could do that we needed to hear from a few of our teachers.

Dr. Piombino-Mascali  gives his presentation on mummies and preserved human remains.

Our first lecture was from our own Dr. Morrow. She lectured on taphonomy of human bodies and the causes of decomposition. Next, Dr. Piombino-Mascali, our field school teacher from Italy, gave an introduction to mummies and preserved human remains. It is always a treat when he lectures because of his experience and all that he has accomplished.

Dr. Morrow, ready to go down in the crypt with her equipment. 

Dr. Piombino-Mascali introduces the students to the crypt.

Dr. Morrow gives the students instruction for today's activities.

Picture of the crypt before it was restored.

After a lunch break filled with pasta and lots of bread, we were ready to make our way down into the crypt. Dr. Piombino-Mascali gave a quick history on the mummies of Sicily and what we would be looking at when we got down there. We had some free time to explore and study the remains surrounding us. It was particularly interesting when I found a tiny skull with the cranial sutures barely

Students take a look around and observe the mummies.

fused, meaning it was a young child.


Then we broke into groups of around 3-4 students to work on collecting samples for analysis later in the lab. My group had the job of using a small paint brush to scrape dust from the inside of the coffins into a centrifuge tube. After collecting our samples, Emily and myself took the exciting job of looking for insects and other specimens lying around the crypt. In the end, we had two petri dishes full of insects and other arthropods.

Students work on today's activities. 

Kylie and Emily gather insects from the crypt.

Chase rocking the Optivisor.

We then moved up to the lab to begin analyzing the materials we had collected. It started out rough when Dr. Reinhard blew the fuse after turning on the light on the microscope. In his defense, we did not have a surge protector when using our adapter. We made things work by using an alternative light source and our second microscope. Next, Dr. Morrow, our great archaeoentomologist, took the initiative to investigate one mysterious insect that we found. It appeared to be something encased in a white shell of some sort. At first we weren't even sure if it was an insect, but after closer examination we were surprised at what we found. Dr. Morrow began pulling at the white substance and discovered that it was a spider web. After freeing the insect, we came to the conclusion that it was a beetle in the Curculionidae family, a type of weevil (long snout beetle).

Kylie and Emily analyze their findings. 

Insects gathered at the crypt.

Curculionidae (Weevil) extracted from a spider's case.

After a small break in the afternoon, some students took the rigorous hike up to the castle, while

some of us stayed back to rest. When everyone returned we went down for a dinner together that consisted of zucchini roll-ups, bread, vegetables, and pears. The rest of the night was filled with relaxing and resting up for 9 AM class tomorrow. Ciao!

Dish of delicious peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

Mini stuffed zucchini wraps.