HYDERABAD: Researchers who were on the tedious task of conservation of the 2300-year old mummy displayed at State Museum in Public Gardens in the city stumbled up on several revealing facts, one of which is that the mummy belonged to a 25-year old woman and not a 16-year old as it has been presumed for the last 80 years.
The study also revealed that during the stage of mummification process, some invaluable metal objects were also kept on the body. This was found out after an MRI scan and X-ray was carried out on the mummy.
They also recovered insects like beetles feeding on the body of the mummy, which are as old as 500 years. The one at State Museum is one of the six such mummies available in the country.
After the restoration, the mummy has been given its original look, or rather something closer to it with all the damaged linen wrap being replaced.
The glass box with wooden frame too has been given a facelift. Addressing a media conference, P.Vinod, the scientist who led the research said that the research would pave way for many similar research works across the world.
This 2300 year old mummy which was degrading through the years called for an immediate preservation for the future. The debris was first put through a detox procedure and the fragile linen used to wrap around the body of the mummy was reconstructed.
B.Venkatesham, Secretary to Tourism, said, “The scientific techniques used are very advanced. This Research can be a case study for future works.”
N.Visalatchy, director, department of Archaeology and Museums said that the main objective of the conservation project was to minimize the degradation caused on the mummy by heat, light, temperature and insects. Along with top scientists, a group of trained participants took part in the workshop carried out for two months, she said.