HYDERABAD: Four months since an order was placed with an international agency for an ‘oxygen-free lass case’, officials at the state department of archaeology and museums are still waiting for the same: to achieve what is termed a first-of-its-kind conservation effort in the country to preserve a 2,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy.
Though the conservation process of the Mummy of Egyptian Princess Nishushu, which was obtained by Mir Mehboob Ali Khan in 1920, was completed last April, officials are still waiting for the delivery of the case from Germany. This case would apparently keep the mummy intact for another 500 years.
An order was placed for the oxygen-free case in September 2016 after a site survey was conducted by an expert from Glasbau Hahn in August of same year. “The case should be arriving any time soon and once placed in it, the Mummy should remain in the same condition for at least the next 500 years. That was the time the conservation process was aimed at,” informed NR Visalatchy, director, Department of Archaeology and Museums, Telangana.
“These oxygen-free museum cases are used to preserve things that can degrade biologically. Indira Gandhi’s blood-stained saree and remains of Rajiv Gandhi - his burnt shoes and clothes at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, New Delhi are preserved in a similar case. They are air tight and prevent entry of air and gases that could spoil them,” said the director.
The process also revealed that a part of the Princess’ brain was still intact and she died at the age of 25 and not 16, as was earlier believed. “A CT Scan and an X-ray was conducted under the supervision of chief conservator Anupam Sah, who is also the head of art conservation, research and training at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum Art Conservation Centre, at Medwin Hospitals. The MRI test was rejected as metals were detected in the body. Also, we are yet to determine the reason behind the existence of brain matter, as it is generally removed during mummification,” said Visalatchy.
She said there is no comparable data available. “We are waiting for others to do this kind of study, as ours is the first of its kind, at least on mummies in India. That can help us determine if Nishushu’s is a rare case or if generally this much brain matter is left,” she said.