| Barnum Mummy Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Unknown |
| Age | 28-32 |
| Sex | f |
| Status | common |
| Height | |
| Source | |
| Culture | |
| Date(s) | Middle Kingdom(?) 4,000 yo |
| Site | |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Barnum Museum of Science and History |
| Catalog # | 1894.1.1 A-C |
In 1894, Nancy Fish Barnum, widow of the showman and entrepreneur P. T. Barnum, acquired a mummy in Egypt. She presented this find, along with an accompanying coffin, to the Bridgeport Scientific Society and Fairfield County Historical Society. Initially presumed to be a matched set, extensive research later revealed that the mummy and the coffin were paired for sale by an antiquities dealer and did not originally belong together.
The coffin was found to have once belonged to a man named Pa-ib, while the mummy belonged to a woman approximately thirty years old. In August 1894, the mummy was unveiled to the public, and spectators were amazed by the sight of "thousands of yards of linen bandages."
Studies[]
Over the years, the mummy underwent comprehensive examinations, including x-ray, CT, and fluoroscopic scans, as well as endoscopic explorations. During these investigations, it was discovered that the mummy's heart was missing.
The woman's dental issues, which likely contributed to her death, suggested she led a life with minimal heavy manual labor. She possibly experienced childbirth.
Additional[]
The Barnum Museum released a documentary on their YouTube channel which shares all the information they have gathered throughout the years, shedding light on the story behind the mummy now called "Ipy."
External Links[]
Barnum Museum Documentary about the Mummy
Museum releases mummy documentary featuring CT images
UNWRAPPED EGYPTIAN MUMMY, FEMALE, WITH FRAGMENTS OF LINEN WRAPPING
Quinnipiac Mummy Experts Explore Barnum Museum's 4000 Year Old Mummy
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/More-secrets-revealed-about-Bridgeport-mummy-414468.php