These mummies have a lot to tell us

An Egyptian priest who may have had chronic back pain.

A Hungarian mother who died of tuberculousis at age 38.

A German baron who had an extra vertebrae.

All were preserved through mummification and are part of a traveling exhibit now at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.

Mummification has been used to preserve bodies often in keeping with religious beliefs. Today scientists can examine mummies to learn about the history of civilization and disease.

James Schanandore, a mummy specialist whose expertise helped shape the “Mummies of the World: The Exhibition,” has spent the last 10 years studying mummies through the use of computed tomography (CT) scans. He can determine much about a person’s life, including lifestyle, disease and stature, and with that information can educate the public about cultures that once thrived.

Education is also a huge component of the exhibit, which is a collection of real mummies from across the globe that date as far back as 4,500 years.

“This exhibit changes the perception of who the mummies are,” Marcus Corwin, president of Boca Raton, Fla.-based American Exhibitions Inc., the producer of the show, said during a media preview before the exhibit’s debut in Orange County on March 19.

“To me, they are fascinating. It’s an opportunity to explore the concept of death, but this exhibit is not scary. It’s educational and there’s something for everybody here.”

With interactive stations, multimedia exhibits and 3D animations, “Mummies of the World” explores the connection among mummies, science and medicine — the history of tuberculosis, for instance.

Mummification occurs through natural and intentional practices, and as part of the exhibit, a video browser shows how decomposition affects a variety of organisms. Visitors can also experience what a mummy feels like by touching linen bandage wrapping, embalmed skin and mummified animal fur, and they can scroll through a compilation of the spells and instructions in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, an ancient funerary text.

On display are the Vac Mummies, a mummified family from Hungary who are believed to have died from tuberculosis.

In 1994, the Vac Mummies were found in a forgotten crypt located in a Dominican church near the Danube River. In the crypt were the remains of 265 individuals stacked from floor to ceiling in decorated coffins. Researchers determined from church records and coffin data that many of the mummified bodies with intact clothing, hair and skin worked as carpenters, city officials, priests or seamstresses during the 18th century.

The remains had mummified because of the crypt’s cool and dry air, and oil from the coffins’ pine boards prevented fungi and bacteria that normally breaks down body tissue. After tests were conducted on 10 of the bodies, scientists concluded that three had had tuberculosis, also known as the white plague.

Schanandore, who teaches human anatomy and physiology at the University of Wisconsin, La-Crosse, was especially focused on studying Baron von Holz and Baroness Schenck von Giern, German mummies from the 17th century that are in the exhibit.

“What was interesting to note is that the baron had an extra vertebrae in his back, which is genetically rare,” said Schanandore, as he stood before the glass case showcasing the mummy. “And he was still dressed in his leather boots, which was for burial purposes only. And we learned from CT data that the baroness had extreme kyphoscoliosis.”

The deformity of the spine, Schanandore said, may have been caused in part by malnutrition during the Thirty Years’ War, a series of wars in central Europe between 1618 and 1648.

The two are among five naturally preserved mummies that were found in Sommersdorf Castle, in southern Germany. The baroness is a direct ancestor of the current von Crailsheim family, who still reside in Sommersdorf Castle.

Meanwhile, the Burns Collection — an 18th century specimen collection that aids in understanding the complexity of bone, organ, muscle, nerve, tendon and more — is an anatomy lesson in itself. And the shrunken heads, which are likely to make some visitors cringe, offer insight into South American culture. They are typically associated with the Jivaro culture of Ecuador, where members of the group traditionally shrunk the heads of enemies captured in battle.

The shrinking process, in simple terms, involves separating the skull from the head, removing fat, boiling the head in water, drying it and molding it to retain its features. The result, as seen in the museum exhibit, are likenesses of doll heads.

The mummies are under heavy security, and in fact the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement closed the 5 Freeway for about two minutes on March 10 as a semi-truck transporting the mummies from Salt Lake City made its final approach to the Bowers Museum.

“This exhibit teaches visitors about mummification and that not all mummies come from Egypt,” Corwin said. “People will see real people and learn they had real lives. There’s nothing that will scare you. It’s very engaging, and we want people to be respectful of these families.”

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IF YOU GO

What: “Mummies of the World: The Exhibition”

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays until Sept. 5

Where: Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana

Cost: $10 to $25

Information: (714) 567-3600 or visit bowers.org

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