Mummies in the crypts of the church of The Holy Virgin Mary in Szczuczyn

Summary

In the course of archaeological explorations conducted within churches and chuch yards, the researchers meet the most often skeletal burials. Their better or worse conditions depend on the environment of the burial location. In case of crypt burials, mummies of the deceased aren't frequently excavated, which fact is conditioned by special factors enabling corpses’ natural mummifying process. This very situation was observed in Szczuczyn church listed above. In winter 2013, inventory and arrangement works started inside two crypts, situated under the church presbytery. The exploration brought the burials of men, women and children of noble families and numerous monks, which underwent the process of sceletonization or natural mummification. During the works many problems of archaeological, conservation and ethical nature appeared. Due to special conditions, archaeological exploration is conducted only in winter seasons.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Mummified Human Remains from Early Modern Period to Present – Decay Process, Burial Customs and Ethical Challenges   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 211