| Lady of Brefeillac Louise de Quengo Human Mummy | |
| |
| (Image source: Rozenn Colleter/INRAP) | |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Louise de Quengo |
| Age | 65 |
| Sex | Female |
| Status | Aristocrat |
| Height | 1.45m (5 ft) |
| Source | |
| Culture | French |
| Date(s) | 1565 |
| Site | Convent of the Jacobins |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Rennes, FR |
| Catalog # | |
Louise de Quengo, also know as Lady of Brefeillac was from an aristocratic family in Brittany, a region in northwestern France. Her husband, Toussaint de Perrien, was a knight of Brefeillac. After her husband died, one year before her own death, Louise de Quengo became a nun in the convent of the Jacobins in Rennes, France. This is where she was later buried in a lead coffin alongside the embalmed heart of her late husband and where her body was found centuries later. She was found buried in her habit which included a cape, brown twill dress, linen shirt, stockings and cork-soled shoes. Her face was covered and she wore two bonnets and a cap held in place by a headband. The lead coffin suggested her high standing in society.
Mummification[]
The mummification process is considered to be natural. Her body was found to be in excellent condition. She was found holding the embalmed heart of her late husband.
Studies[]
A CT scan showed that her heart was expertly removed from her body as well. There is no certainty as to where her heart now rests or whether it is equally well preserved, however, it is speculated to be with her late husband, Toussaint de Perrien.
Pathology[]
With the help of the University Hospital of Toulouse, the archaeologists determined through scans and X-rays that Louise de Quengo had lesions in her lungs which indicate she may have died from a lung infection (pneumonia, tuberculosis etc.). It was also found that she had kidney stones.
External Links[]
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/03/europe/noblewoman-preserved-corpse-france/index.html
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/france-embalmed-heart-rennes-quengo-perrien-archaeology/
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/36859
References[]
The History Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2017, from http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/36859
Mackay, M. (2015, June 04). Preserved French noblewoman, aged 350. Retrieved November 20, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/03/europe/noblewoman-preserved-corpse-france/index.html
Video, T. (2015, June 05). Archaeologists find 350-year-old French mummy. Retrieved November 20, 2017, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11653657/Archaeologists-examine-350-year-old-remains-of-aristocrat.html
Wife Discovered With Husband's Heart, Centuries After Death. (2017, February 14). Retrieved November 20, 2017, from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/france-embalmed-heart-rennes-quengo-perrien-archaeology/
350-Year-Old French Mummy Discovered in Lead Coffin With Her Husband’s Heart in a Reliquary. (2015, June 05). Retrieved November 20, 2017, from http://www.theblaze.com/news/2015/06/05/350-year-old-french-mummy-discovered-in-lead-coffin-with-her-husbands-heart-in-a-reliquary