2000-year-old well-preserved mummy discovered in Italy’s ‘Tomb of Cerberus’

Experts working in the Tomb of Cerberus in Giugliano, Naples, recently unsealed a 2000-year-old sarcophagus. After further unveiling, they discovered a body that was quite well preserved, with its face pointing upwards and covered in a shroud.

They believe that analyzing the contents of the sarcophagus could provide social, cultural, and scientific insights into the ancient days.

Simona Formola leads the discovery of well-preserved mummy in Naples tomb

Simona Formola was the leading investigator who investigated the Tomb of Cerberus and discovered that the body was lying face up, which according to them was an excellent state of preservation.

Besides being covered by a shroud the individual was also surrounded by a long list of goods. It included things like ointment jars and things used to clean the body during burial .

The team of researchers anticipated analyzing the condition in which the body was kept so that the person might have a privileged upbringing. He might have been related to the person for whom the mausoleum was being built originally.

The researchers added that the shroud was most likely mineralized, majorly due to climatic conditions that existed inside the burial chamber. The team is right now conducting fabric analysis, they soon intend to find out the structure, type, and quality of the yarn which is being used inside the tomb. They believe this will give them more social and cultural details.

Tomb of Cerberus reveals new insights into ancient Phlegraean territory

Marian Nuzzo, a superintendent with the Italian Ministry of Culture noted that the Tomb of Cerberus is one which can provide important information about the Phlegraean territory near Liternum.

The researchers believe with knowledge expanding on the past, a lot of opportunities open up for research of a multidisciplinary nature. Nazzo added that right now there is a lot of information on how to treat the deceased’s body. They are also emphasizing the funerary rituals so that they can broaden their horizon of thinking.

The team is still analyzing the DNA samples, including the organic substances like pollen which is found within the sarcophagus . The team believes that creams were being used to treat the body, which might help in preserving it for longer periods of time.

As a country, Italy is well known for preserving mummies, and this dates back to ancient civilizations. Some of the important examples include ancient Roman and Etruscan practices. Other than this other examples include Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily.

Over the days there have been several modern scientific techniques leveraged to offer insights. The areas include studying their historical diseases, their food habits, and lots more.

The mummies of Italy make up for its cultural heritage and contribute majorly to their tourism practices. As of now, the Ministry plans to carry on their continued sampling. They also want to analyze everything else that is found in the sarcophagus.

These mummies provide invaluable insights into the lives of how people led their lives previously as mentioned above. This will help the present and future generations appreciate and learn from these unique artefacts. That will indeed be a proud moment not only for India, but also for the outside world.