| Grottarossa Human Mummy | |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Unknown |
| Age | 8 years old |
| Sex | Female |
| Status | Mummified |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Italian |
| Date(s) | February 5, 1964 |
| Site | Uan Muhuggiag |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Museum of the Roman World in Rome |
| Catalog # | Unknown |
Grottarossa was an eight-year-old Roman girl who lived in the second century AD. She was native of Northern or Central Italy. The mummy was found in February 1964 in Grottarossa near Cassia, Rome. She was discovered in a sarcophagus. The body is preserved in the Roman National Museum of Palazzo Massimo.
Mummification
The process of mummification is described sensu strictiori which is a treatment of balms. There was no trace of sectioning or residual thin crystals to be attributed to natron on the skin. All internal organs remained intact. Evidence displayed that products from Cupressaceae and Juniperus were used in the embalming process. This procedure was commonly used in Egypt during the last period, including the Roman era in which this girl was alive.
The sarcophagus was made of white marble, with a double-weathered lid opening at the front. It is rectangu-lar, and has masks on its corners. Both the sarcophagus and its lid are decorated with ornamental carvings.
Studies
Paleopathological and anthropological studies and investigation of the mummy involved modern medical exams, regular light and electron microscopy, pollen analysis, and CT scan imaging.
A major study involved researching textiles, jewelry, and funerary items that were associated with the mummy. These studies lead to the results that exemplified that the body was treated using a process from Egypt's Roman Period.
Grave goods included a pair of gold earings, a gold necklace with sapphires, and a gold ring. An articulated ivory doll, a small amber shell-shaped box; a small amber pot; a little box with handle; a little amber die.
Pathology
The eight-year-old girl had suffered various infections as well as nutritional deficiencies. Her family was not probably not poor, yet she suffered from malnutrition.
Paleopathological research identified that the girl died as a result of a bilateral fibrinous pleuritis.
Additional
The mummy of Grottarossa is the second mummy discovered in Rome.
External Links
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-7091-6565-2_20
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummia_di_Grottarossa