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When we hear the word ‘mummy’ we immediately think of Egypt, pyramids & ancient pharaohs seeking to preserve their mortal remains for all eternity. But the truth of the matter is that, either by pure chance or on purpose, corpses showing an incredible state of preservation can be found all around the world.
Such is the case of the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily, where Rosalía Lombardo, a little girl who died of pneumonia in 1920, was interred for her final rest after being embalmed at the request of her heart-stricken father. When researchers found the little body, they were so amazed by the incredibly life-like appearance of the mummy that Rosalía received the name of ‘Sleeping Beauty.’
According to the Peruvian journal El Comercio, scientists interested in learning more about the embalming techniques employed in Rosalía’s body put a camera inside her sarcophagus, capable of taking pictures every 60 seconds.
But the researchers were not prepared for what happened next: The images taken by the camera seemed to show the little mummy’s eyes opening and closing. A phenomenon that repeats itself several times a day.
A trick of the light? A miracle perhaps? Subsequent studies have come to the conclusion that Rosalia’s ‘blinking’, is due to the natural humidity in the crypt where she’s kept – that, or perhaps the little sleeping girl is just waiting for her dad to tell her a a good-night story…
Original Link: Rosalía, la niña momificada que parece abrir los ojos
Read more: Lost “Sleeping Beauty” Mummy Formula Found
Further reading: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (1918–1920) [Scientific paper]
