Ausheritage assist with preserving mummy – 19 Oct 2015

AusHeritage Chairman Vinod Daniel, an expert in chemical conservation, has been asked by the State Archaeology Department to assist in the preservation of an Egyptian mummy, held at the Telangana State Museum in Hyderabad, India. Conservation of the mummy has not been undertaken due to a lack of funds.

Vinod Daniel, Chair of AusHeritage (second from left) visited Hyderabad to advise on the preservation of a mummy at the State Museum. The visit on October 19, 2015 was at the invitation from the Telengana State Department of Archaeology.

After a preliminary evaluation, Mr Daniel said that humidity and oxygen cause the damage. The dummy will be moved into new oxygen-free case with a constant humidity and aired with nitrogen to stop bacterial growth, similar to those that enclose the clothes of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi in New Delhi. Opening the case will require the wearing of health safety equipment because of the concern of bacteria.

The 2,351-year-old mummy is possibly the 16 year old daughter of a pharaoh. As part of the pro-bono work, Mr Daniel will also assist in telling the story about the life and death of the mummy.

For further information, refer to the article in The Hindu:

Mummy_to_get_a_new_lease_of_life_-_The_Hindu.pdf