Nellie the mummy returns
October 1, 2003
Swathed in ancient linens and shrouded in mystery, the Burke Museum's mummy, "Nellie" has remained a popular attraction since her arrival at the museum in 1902. Three years ago, Burke archaeologists removed Nellie from the museum to perform much-needed conservation work on the delicate mummy.
What they discovered during the preservation process gave rise to new questions regarding Nellie's recent history.
A computed tomography (CT) scan performed on the mummy in 2000 revealed that Nellie is missing the majority of her bones, which were removed some time in the 1900s. In addition, the pair of feet that had been on display with Nellie at the Burke for years did not actually belong to her. Archaeologists are preserving the original feet, as well as Nellie's other bones, as a part of the overall conservation project.
During the preservation process, research showed that Nellie's chest cavity had been packed with polyurethane foam and a network of chicken wire to support the mummy's fragile frame. A metal rod had also been inserted into the mummy's body to help preserve her in the 1960s.
"Back then they were using materials that were not reversible. That's a very big change in conservation technique," said Laura Phillips, the Burke's collections manager.
As a final measure in the preservation process, the Burke erected a $20,000 state-of-the-art glass display case that will become Nellie's home when she returns to the museum as a part of the Burke's new exhibit "Reverent Remembrance: Honoring the Dead."
A 6-foot-long wooden coffin will be exhibited above Nellie in the display case. The coffin is about 1,000 years older than Nellie and was purchased and donated to the museum at the same time as the mummy. The entire conservation project cost around $46,000.
"Restoration means bringing an object back to what it originally looked like. Conservation means stabilizing the object and not making any permanent changes," Phillips said. "We have thought about putting Nellie's bones back," but we can probably never restore her fully."
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