Browsing by Author "Viner, Mark"

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    Guidelines for best practice: imaging for age estimation in the living
    (Elsevier, 2019-02-10) Doyle, Edel; Marquez-Grant, Nicholas; Field, Lisa; Holmes, Trish; Arthurs, Owen J.; van Rijn, Rick R.; Hackman, Lucina; Kasper, Kathleen; Lewis, Jim; Loomis, Peter; Elliott, Denise; Kroll, Jeroen; Viner, Mark; Blau, Soren; Brough, Alison; Heras, Stella Martin de las; Garamendi, Pedro Manuel
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    A multidisciplinary investigation of a mummified Egyptian head and analysis of its associated resinous material from the Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo (Sicily)
    (Elsevier, 2024-04-13) Squires, Kirsty; Davidson, Alison; Cooper, Simon; Viner, Mark; et al.,
    Among the 70 items donated by the abbot Antonio Pietro Paternostro to the former National Museum of Palermo (now Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum) in 1870, an ancient Egyptian mummified human head stands out. In 2022 the finding was submitted for a multidisciplinary investigation that relied upon non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches. Investigations revealed that this is a possible female head, which was likely subjected to trans-nasal craniotomy, and dated to the Egyptian Graeco-Roman period. The head was packed with an abundant amount of resin which was analysed using thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The analysis suggested that the resin was most likely comprised of a natural resin, pitch, or tar, from the Pinaceae family of conifers, and mixed with other materials including a fat, oil, or wax. The use of multiple sample preparation techniques for the chromatographic analysis provided a high level of confidence in the identification of a wide variety of compounds, including a range of himachalene derivatives, which indicate the inclusion of cedar tar or oil.
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    The “angioletti” of Palermo: the health and development of mummified non-adults in late modern Palermo, Sicily (1787–1880 CE)
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2024-09-11) Squires, Kirsty; Viner, Mark; Hoban, Wayne; Loynes, Robert; Van Schaik, Katherine; Piombino-Mascali, Dario
    The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, have been home to non-adult mummified remains since the seventeenth century CE. Despite the increasing numbers of scientific studies conducted at this site, very little research has focused specifically on the youngest members of late modern (1787–1880 CE) society. This research aims to redress the balance by examining 43 individuals to gain insight into the demographic profile of mummified non-adults, to characterize their health status and possible cause of death, and to better understand the funerary treatment offered to the youngest members of society. A portable X-ray unit was used to capture anteroposterior and lateral images of each mummy; this facilitated age estimation, the identification of pathological and/traumatic lesions, and evidence of conservation and the mummification process more generally. This study revealed that regardless of age and health status at the time of death, the mortuary rite performed was primarily influenced by the wealth and social standing of the deceased’s kin. No demographic trends were observed in the data and the lack of evidence of metabolic, neoplastic, and traumatic bone lesions suggest these non-adults died from short-term, acute illnesses. Even when individuals did display evidence of chronic health conditions that would have impacted their day-to-day lives (e.g., B035), they were not excluded from this mortuary tradition on the basis of their long-term health and care requirements in life. Artifacts were found with all individuals examined and were associated with the mummification process, conservation of mummies, and/or their display. This research has ultimately demonstrated that non-invasive imaging can be used to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the lives and deaths of non-adults inhabiting late modern Palermo.