Scientists have granted, for the first time in history, permission to study one of the strangest monasteries on Earth, below which they discovered what researchers describe as a strange “catacomb” that contains many mysteries.
The monks of the Capuchin Monastery in Palermo, the capital of the province of Sicily, in 1599 dug vaults below the monastery and buried the dead inside, after drying the bodies and placing them on ceramic shelves, while some of the other bodies were placed in sealed glass cabinets.
As for the monks, they were hung in a very strange way with their clothes and some relatives visited the deceased and kept the bodies of the deceased in good condition, which sparked the desire of scientists to study these mummified mummies.
Children of the “catacomb” for the first time in public
According to the news published in the scientific journal “scitechdaily”, scientists may be able to solve the mystery of the children of the catacombs, so that their story will come out to the public for the first time in history.
These catacombs contain the largest collection of mummies in Europe, with more than 1,284 mummified and skeletal bodies dating from the late 16th to early 20th centuries.
Children were admitted to the catacombs from 1787 but while extensive research was conducted on the large, mummified bodies, the mummies of the children were completely ignored.
Scientists give exclusive permission to study children for the first time
Staffordshire University is leading the first-ever comprehensive study of mummified children in the famous Capuchin tombs in Sicily, with Dr. down the monastery.
“Determining whether children buried in the catacombs experienced environmental stressors on their bodies can tell us about the living conditions and environments in which they live; this will be compared to the biological characteristics of children buried elsewhere in Palermo who were not embalmed,” Squires said.
“This is a really exciting opportunity to learn more about life in Sicily,” Squires continues. “Currently there is limited information about the mummification of children in the catacombs. Our research will help tourists and the public to learn more about the children in the catacombs and the cultural significance of these funeral rites.”