500-Year-Old Mummy Who Lived in Peru is 'Beautifully Preserved'

One of the highlights that will be exhibited in the "Mummies of the World: The Exhibition" is the so-called remains of a 3-year-old girl from Peru, who was mummified for over 500 years, Indiana Gazette reported.

With the combined efforts of the Cincinnati Museum Centre and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, the remains of the girl was identified and examined through X-ray images, reports Fox10. Officials from both institutions found that the mummified girl died due to seasonal food shortages; thus there are no signs of violence or any indication that the girl sustained any chronic disease.

A radiologist from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital released a statement saying that X-ray results of the remains produced images of the girl's "beautifully preserved" bones and organs. For the first time, doctors were able to use 3D scan technology to thoroughly study the remains of the mummy without doing any damage. 

Images produced by the 3D scan also show the girl's reshaped head, which was not really a shocker for the doctors. WCPO Cincinnati explained that the reshaping of the girl's head is part of Peru's culture and that it was done during her earlier years, through a process that involves tied boards and straps. 

"In South America it was often believed to be sexy - you needed a long, narrow skull," Dr. Andrew Trout said in the WCPO report.

Heather Gill-Ferking, the Director of Science and Education for the Museum said that examination of mummies started out in the early 1970's where the remains are unwrapped, and destroyed as the autopsies are conducted. The method helps in identifying the mummies' gender, age and most of the time, the cause of death, according to an AP report.

The 500-year-old mummy of the 3-year-old Peruvian girl is considered to be one of the most successful discoveries in the archaeological world; thus making a huge contribution in future medical research, the museum officials say. 

Dave Duszynski, the Vice President at Cincinnati Museum Center said "Any time you have an opportunity to help solve a mystery that's over 500 years old it's really exciting. You literally get a glimpse back in time at a person who still has stories to tell, " Fox 10 reported.

For more information aobut the "Mummies of the World Exhibition," visit the event's official website.