An Interdisciplinary Study and Application of Non-Invasive Techniques to Enhance the Mummy Collection of the Juan B. Ambrosetti Ethnographic Museum (Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, UBA)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48162/rev.46.067Keywords:
Museo Etnográfico, mummified remains, interdisciplinary analysisAbstract
This project’s goal was to enhance the mummy collection of the “Juan B. Ambrosetti” Ethnographic Museum (Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, University of Buenos Aires). It was carried out between 2021 and 2022 as part the program Projects for the Preservation and Recovery of Collections of Scientific Interest of Argentina 2020 (CONICET, Williams Foundation, and Bunge y Born Foundation). An initial assessment of the conservation status and storage conditions of this unique collection made it possible to identify traces of previous interventions and to document several deterioration factors. On this basis, a priority action plan was designed encompassing research, analysis, preventive conservation, and improvements in storage practices. The project also engaged specialists from diverse fields—entomology, mycology, radiology, textile studies, among others—to refine the identification of agents of deterioration and inform subsequent preservation strategies. This paper presents the results of mycological analyses, which identified different fungal species, characterized their development, and documented the specific effects they produce. It also details the protocol developed for in situ radiographic imaging, which provided valuable information including dental pathologies, the presence of cranial modifications, general health indicators, and evidence of missing skeletal elements. Furthermore, radiographic analyses revealed the presence of associated material culture items interred with the deceased, as well as objects that had been introduced into the museum alongside certain mummified remains.
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