Seattle: Burke
Museum of Natural History and Culture displays an
Egyptian mummy named Nellie.
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop has
two mummies (anonymous variety) from the area around Gila Bend, Arizona.
According
to information supplied by the mummy's current owner, the first is
called Sylvester: "About 1895 two wandering cowboys riding
through the Gila Bend Desert in central Arizona came upon the nude
body of a man half-buried in the treacherous shifting sands. The body
was exhumed and carried to a nearby town for possible identification.
It has since remained unidentified. The body is of a man about 45
years of age, 5'1" tall and weighs at present 137 pounds. He
weighed about 225 pounds originally. Death came through a gunshot
wound in the stomach and accompanying stains are plainly visible to
this day. Scientists have said that this is a perfect example of
natural dehydration, claiming that the action of the hot sands and
possible chemicals contained therein together with the dry air,
produced this condition within 24 hours after death. This prevented
any form of decomposition."
The
second mummy, according to Michelle Downing, is called Sylvia, an even
older mummy acquired from Central America. Thank you, Michelle.
The
mummies are on display at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Pier 54 in
Seattle, near Pike Place Market. An article entitled
Gila Bend
resident surmises mummy's history
in the August
6, 2000 issue of the Arizona
Republic interviews
an octogenarian about the origin of the mummy.
