70 The World Congresses on Studies

NIELS LYNNERUP, ART AUFDERHEIDE, CONRADO RODRÍGUEZ- MARTÍN, FELIPE CÁRDENAS- ARROYO, , EMMA RABINO- MASSA, PABLO ATOCHE PEÑA, AND ALANA CORDY- COLLINS

even World Congresses on Mummy Studies holistic approach. Indeed, the cross-disciplinary Shave been held at the time of writing this con- discussions arising from the presentations are tribution. Th e fi rst occurred 1992 on Tenerife perhaps some of the most prominent features of (Canary Islands, Spain), followed in 1995 in these congresses. Cartagena (Colombia), 1998 in Arica (), 2001 in Nuuk (Greenland), 2004 in Torino (Italy), HOW IT ALL BEGAN: THE and 2007 in Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain). FIRST MUMMY CONGRESS Th e 2011 Congress was the fi rst to be held in the It would not be possible to write about the history United States (San Diego) and coincided with the of the mummy congresses and their signifi cance annual meeting of the American Association for without mentioning Art Aufderheide. Although the Advancement of Science, Pacifi c Division. Th e a chapter is dedicated to him elsewhere in this subsequent Congress is planned for Rio de Janeiro volume (Chapter 2), we would like to give a more in 2013. detailed and personal account of his engagement Th ese Congresses have been of tremendous in initiating the remarkably successful mummy importance in focusing scientifi c attention on congresses. Art’s interest in paleopathology, and mummy studies, and particularly in bringing that particularly which related to , began scientists interested in mummies together. On in the early 1980s. Th is interest led him to his fi rst a broader scale, the Mummy Congresses have fi eld studies in Chile and , as well as in Alaska played a part in underlining that studying mum- in 1982. Since then, in the company of his won- mies is a truly scientifi c endeavour (Chapter 65). derful wife Mary, Art continued to travel around Before the Mummy Congresses, the scientifi c the world seeking more knowledge about mum- results of mummy studies extended over a pleth- mies, diseases, and ancient ways of life. One of ora of medical, anthropological, and archaeologi- these trips, in October of 1988, introduced Art and cal meetings and publications. While this may Mary to Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). Art had be very appropriate in some instances, e.g., pre- read a short article on Guanche paleopathology senting paleopathological evidence of a specifi c (the aboriginal population of Tenerife) written by disease at a medical conference discussing the Conrado Rodríguez-Martín and María García in epidemiology of that disease, it also atomized the Paleopathology Newsletter, and was interested the fi eld. Oft en lost was the context of the ritu- in learning more about the Guanche mummies. als and taphonomy leading to the preservation of In Tenerife he met a group of enthusiastic individu- the mummy and, very importantly, the context in als representing the local Archaeological Museum which the person once lived; those features were and the local University of La Laguna. commonly published elsewhere or not at all. Due Along with Conrado, who at that time was to their strong emphasis on being an interdisci- curator of paleopathology and physical anthro- plinary enterprise, the Mummy Congresses have pology, and Rafael González- Antón, director of become the venue of choice for presenting the the museum, Art was shown the collection of results of mummy analyses because they ensure a human skeletons and mummies, and visited several

Th is chapter is an adaptation of Lynnerup N. 2007. Mummies. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology 50:162–190.

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important archaeological sites on the island. Aft er the archaeology and the cultural history of the this visit, Art suggested organizing a small project once- living populations was strongly emphasized on Guanche mummy paleopathology and, during from the outset. Another characteristic of the the fi rst months of 1989, they all worked together Mummy Congresses was the perception that the on the idea. With the active participation and mummy conference should be held in places close strong fi nancial support of the Cabildo de Tenerife to contexts where mummies had been discovered (the government of the island), this small study and exhibits that included mummifi ed remains. group launched the idea of organizing a much more comprehensive research project on Guanche WILL THERE BE ANOTHER mummy bioanthropology, including an interna- CONGRESS? THE SECOND tional mummy exhibit, the creation of an insti- MUMMY WORLD CONGRESS tute devoted, among other things, to the study of One of the most frequently asked questions during paleopathology, and a World Congress on Mummy the days of the fi rst World Congress was whether Studies. Such a congress would have as its ambi- there would be a Second World Congress on tious aim to gather all the scientists working on the Mummy Studies. An informal group of research- mummies of the world. Shortly thereaft er (March ers, under the name of the World Committee on 1990), a full team of experts on mummies from the Mummy Studies, was soon formed to facilitate the Canaries and the United States formed a working continuation of this nascent tradition. Its goals group. At the same time, hundreds of letters were were to help in organizing and supervising the sci- sent to diff erent persons and institutions around entifi c content for the next Congress. Art was the the world, most of them known by Art, announc- honorary president, Conrado the president, and ing the “First World Congress on Mummy Studies” Felipe Cardenas the vice president. All the orga- to be held in the tourist city of Puerto de la Cruz, on nizers of future Congresses were included in the the northern shore of Tenerife, in February 1991. committee as active members. However the Persian Gulf War in January and Having been coaxed by Art and Conrado, February of that year forced the postponement of Felipe was persuaded to assume responsibility for the congress exactly one year. the next Congress. Indeed, Felipe announced, at Th e congress was held on February 3–6, 1992. the closing dinner for the First World Congress, the Art was president of the Scientifi c Committee, city of Cartagena de las Indias, an historic place on and more than 300 persons attended the event, the shore of the Caribbean Sea in Colombia, as the which was organized in diff erent parallel sessions: venue for the Second Congress. Th ere we met on Guanche Mummies Bioanthropology, Paleopatho- February 6–10, 1995, to attend a meeting that was logy, Research Methods, Museology, Conservation, held in the Convention Centre located in the heart Mummifi cation, and Free Communications. Th e of Cartagena, a true jewel of Spanish colonial archi- offi cial languages were Spanish and English, with tecture, supported by the Universidad de Los . the use of simultaneous translation. On February Th e meeting was organized in two parallel sessions 4th the exhibit entitled “Mummies, the Secrets with simultaneous translation. Again, the offi cial of the Past” was offi cially opened in Santa Cruz, languages were Spanish and English. Th e sessions Tenerife, showing mummies and archaeological were attended by more than 200 persons and dealt artifacts from the Canaries, Egypt, Colombia, Chile, with the following subjects: History of Research Peru, , Bolivia, the United States, and other in Mummies, Paleogenetics, Bioanthropology of parts of the world. Art took responsibility for con- Chinchorro Mummies, Mummies and Ancient tacting curators and directors in diff erent museums Parasitism, Arctic Mummies, Medicine and in many countries, and the team that the museum Diet: Th e Mummy’s Perspective, Paleoimaging in formed to prepare the exhibition. Th e congress was Ancient Mummies, and Free Communications. a combined environment of science and pleasure, Th e Cartagena World Congress on Mummy with dinners on the shore of the Atlantic and in the Studies was an unforgettable meeting, as was that hall of the main theater of Santa Cruz. Th e grand in Tenerife. Many of the attendees from the previ- fi nale was an excursion to the Teide, the highest ous Canary Islands meeting were also there, and peak in the island and indeed the Iberian Peninsula, initial contacts made in Tenerife in 1992 were almost 4,000 meters over the level of sea. pivotal for organizing the Cartagena meeting. As It is oft en the case that the fi rst event in a series usual, Art was fundamental in bringing people sets the scope for activities and indeed the whole together and encouraging all our colleagues to atmosphere for the next events. As such, the idea attend. He not only was one of the fi rst to arrive, that paleopathology needed to be seen in light of but also presented several papers. You could see

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him during the coff ee breaks and at lunch and din- Congress to be held in 2001. Th erefore, for the fi rst ner periods talking with colleagues, making new time in the history of the mummy congresses, we contacts, thinking of new projects, and fi nding ventured out of the Spanish-speaking, subtropical ways of helping others to make their research with world. However, this congress did have something mummies more rewarding. Th anks to his eff ort in common with the previous three conferences, as and interest, a research activity eventually resulted this remote northern location was also near places in the positive identifi cation of Chagas disease in where mummies had been found and were cur- ancient Chinchorro mummies (Chapter 2). Th e rently the subject of a museum display. Second World Congress was essential for the sur- However, prior to the Congress, sad news vival of the World Mummy Congresses. Had it shocked us like lightning. Jens Peder Hart- Hansen failed, the future of our group of people and meet- (Chapter 5), a pioneer in mummy studies in ings would have been much less certain. Denmark and the true soul of the Greenland con- cept of a Congress, who had fought to have Nuuk AND SO IT WENT ON: THE chosen as the venue for a mummy congress since THIRD WORLD CONGRESS that in Cartagena de las Indias, died suddenly soon ON MUMMY STUDIES aft er the Arica Congress due to a malignant dis- Th e venue for the Th ird World Congress on Mummy ease. It was a terrible surprise for all of us, not least Studies was Arica, northern Chile, near the border because Jens Peder had just attended the Th ird World with Peru. Arica is a city of eternal spring due to Congress. Niels Lynnerup, Jens Peder´s successor as its mild climate. Th is Congress was organized by head of the Laboratory of Biological Anthropology the Department of Archaeology and Museology at the University of Copenhagen, then became of the University of Tarapacá under the direc- responsible for the organization of the Greenland tion of Calogero Santoro, director of the Museum Congress. Th e Greenland National Museum & of Azapa, and Bernardo Arriaza, then from the Archives as well as all the Greenland authori- University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Between May 18 ties supported the event, and the venue was the to 22, 2001, 200 people attended the sessions that Greenland Cultural Centre Katuaq at Nuuk. Nearly were held in la Hostería Arica, by the shores of the 200 people attended the event. As in Arica, there Pacifi c Ocean where so many Chinchorro mum- was only one session divided in diff erent sympo- mies had been found in the past. sia: Greenland and Arctic Archaeology, Greenland Th e Th ird World Congress was organized much and Arctic Mummies (a symposium in memory of as the two preceding congresses, with Spanish J.P. Hart-Hansen), Mummifi cation Methods, Bog and English as offi cial languages. Arica had many Bodies, Hair in Archaeology, Conservation and symposia arranged: Mummy Paleopathology, Th e Museology, Paleopathology, Applied Technology Study of Human Hair and Archaeology, Human and Analytical Methods, Mortuary Archaeology, Sacrifi ces in High Elevation Shrines, Clothing Mummies from Mount Llullaillaco (Argentina), and Iconography of the Dead, Coprolites, Diet, and Free Communications. Art was, as in the pre- and Parasitological Studies of Mummies, Animal vious conferences, the Honorary President of the Mummies, Mummies and DNA Studies, Archaic Scientifi c Committee, and the cochairman of the Mortuary Patterns in , Plants for Mummy Paleopathology Session. the Dead, Syphilis in the Americas, Conservation For the very fi rst time, and aft er some debate, of Human Mummifi ed Remains, Contemporary English was the only offi cial language, although Andean Mortuary Rituals, Mexican Mummies, and the abstracts were printed both in English and Free Communications. Honorary president once Spanish. Having Spanish in addition to English had again, Art was also the chairman of the Human a specifi c aim: to encourage scientists in Europe Paleopathology Symposium. Th is Congress had and Latin America, who otherwise might not have a very special meaning for Art and Mary because participated due to language barriers. Deciding on they had visited Arica eight times previously to English as the sole offi cial language was in fact a carry out research on disease and health in Andean consequence of the growing internationalization of mummies, and they had many good friends there. the mummy study fi eld. In a sense, one could argue that thanks to the initial success of the mummy FROM THE SOUTH TO THE congresses, based also on soliciting presentations NORTH: THE FOURTH from Spanish- speaking colleagues, we now had a WORLD CONGRESS truly international congress, where translation was During the closing dinner, Conrado announced no longer necessary, or was even an encumbrance Nuuk (Greenland) as the venue for the Fourth to the discussions and presentations.

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Art, as usual, gave several excellent presenta- having to “rough it” amongst Canarian beaches tions. Sitting in on the panel at the closing debate, and volcanoes, Greenlandic glaciers, or Andean he stressed, as before, the special signifi cance deserts, were completely put to rest, not least by of mummy studies. He emphasized the need to the enchanting atmosphere at the university with secure mummies and mummy tissue as a way its historic halls and buildings. Th e level of atten- that extended our knowledge of disease and con- dance was equivalent to that of other congresses, ditions of human life in antiquity, and establish- gathering approximately 200 scientists from all ing mummy tissue databanks and databases on over the world. Of course, the highlight was the mummy fi nds. Th e attendees were also able to see visit to the Egyptian Museum, with its incredible the famous mummies from (Chapter 5), collection of artifacts and mummies. at the Greenland National Museum. At the creation of the Mummy Congresses, it Th e terrible events of September 11 in New was specifi cally argued that we needed to show that York and Washington shocked us as they did the mummies and mummy fi nds were so much more rest of the world. Many were fl ying back to dif- than the Egyptian mummies. We wanted to really ferent parts of the planet at that moment, and it open up the fi eld globally, pointing to important was especially diffi cult for those traveling back to mummy fi nds around the world, all refl ecting excit- Canada and the United States, as they had to stay ing scientifi c possibilities and potentials for new in Greenland for an extra period of several days knowledge about many cultures and peoples. On due to the cancellation of all fl ights. In addition, the other hand, our aim has never been to avoid their being in remote Greenland limited news Egyptian mummies, and many papers from across from home, others, participating in a tour of Norse the Congresses have focused upon Egyptian fi nds. archaeological sites in Greenland, learned of the Th us, it was invigorating to have a Mummy Congress tragic events in a remote village and tranquil envi- where Egyptian mummies were center stage. ronment where it was especially hard to believe that such evil existed in the world. BACK TO THE CANARY ISLANDS: THE SIXTH EGYPTIAN MUMMIES WORLD CONGRESS IN ITALY: THE FIFTH Th ere were several bids for the sixth World WORLD CONGRESS Congress, but the informal board of Elders (the Torino, Italy, was the venue of the Fift h World World Committee on Mummy Studies) decided to Congress on Mummy Studies, with Emma Rabino- support Lanzarote, the Canary Islands, as the cho- Massa of the University of Torino responsible for sen venue due to considerations of Congress facil- its organization. Th e Egyptian Museum in Torino ities, availability, infrastructure, costs, and so on. is considered to be the second most important So in February 2007 we were back on the Canary Egyptian artifact collection in the world aft er the Islands, hosted by Pablo Atoche and Ángeles Cairo Museum, which served as a strong motivat- Ramírez, his wife and research collaborator. It must ing factor in choosing the venue. be said, however, that the Canary Islands represent Symposia covered the “expected” topics of very diff erent biotopes and where Tenerife, with Applied Technology in Mummies; Paleopathology, its volcano (Teide, and actually offi cially the high- Paleoparasitology (note that parasitology was now est peak in Spain), represents a very fertile island meriting a special session, refl ecting the grow- with very developed urban centres and old colo- ing awareness of the signifi cance of this topic; nial style city centres, Lanzarote represents a more Chapter 75) Methods of Mummifi cation, Funerary arid and harsh environment. Most delegates were Archaeology, Conservation of Mummies and lodged in a major tourist hotel by the sea, but the Mummies in Museums, and Frozen Mummies. actual Congress was held in the beautiful town of In addition, there were also more local symposia, Teguise, meeting at the local theater (for work- refl ecting current issues: Forensics, Tattoos, Hair shops) and the hall of an old convent (for presen- and Teeth, Mummies and the Public, and a sympo- tations). Auspiciously, the list of attendees counted sium drawing attention to specifi c developments almost 300, indicating a strong interest and sup- around the world, and in this case, Advances in port of the mummy congresses. Mummy Studies in Brazil. Sessions included Conservation of Mummies, In Torino, the World Congress was held for Museums, Funerary Archaeology, Beliefs and the fi rst time in a major European city, with all Funerary Rituals, Problems About Recovering the accompanying amenities. Initial fears that Mummifi ed Remains, Paleopathology and Parasito- some delegates might feel a bit disappointed at not logy, Applied Technology, Hair, and Paleodiets.

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New additions to the standard session list included excavate, handle, conserve, and study the mum- Sub- adult Mummies and other sessions refl ect- mies, but this work can be controversial in the ing various geographical locales: Mummies of United States, due to the Native American Graves Mexico; Th e Mummies of Altamira Cave and High Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and Mountain Archaeology: Mummies in the Andes. the many political and judicial issues emphasized As in the fi rst three Congresses, Spanish and by Native American groups at both national and English were again the offi cial languages. regional levels. Having the Mummy Congress in Once again, the advantages of having a close- the United States, and in conjunction with a AAAS knit Congress in a rather remote place became meeting, was a chance to not only present scientifi c clear. Unlike so many huge, international meet- data for a larger community, but also to show that ings, where people tend to be lodged across many mummies are indeed handled with respect, and hotels, with the presentations extended over a mul- that associated ethical issues are taken seriously titude of competing parallel sessions, the Mummy by all. Th is underscores the founding principle of Congress on Lanzarote brought the delegates the Mummy Congresses: that we learn so much close together. Pairs and groups of scientists were about ourselves, our ancestry, and our cultural prone to wander around Teguise during breaks, or history by investigating mummies. A highlight of around the hotel facilities in the aft ernoons, deeply the Congress was an evening reception hosted by engaged in discussions and making plans for new the San Diego Museum of Man which showcased projects. its new exhibit, “Modern Day Mummy: Th e Art Th e prompt publication of the papers from and Science of Mummifi cation” Th e Congress was these Congresses presented as books or issues of attended by almost 200 registrants from 27 coun- scientifi c journals, always prior to the celebration tries, 25 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. of the next meeting, is one of the most impor- tant features and refl ects the true success of the THE FUTURE IN RÍO DE six Congresses held to date. Th is, we repeat, con- JANEIRO (THE EIGHTH stitutes true success because it guarantees to the CONGRESS) attending scientists that their work will not be lost, FIOCRUZ (FundaciónOswaldo Cruz) at the and attracts more participants. EscolaNacional de SaúdePublica (National School of Public Health) in the large Brazilian city of Río NORTH AMERICA: de Janeiro will host the Eighth World Congress on SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Mummy Studies in 2013. (THE SEVENTH WORLD CONGRESS) CONCLUSIONS In 2011 the Mummy Congress was held in North Th e steady level of attendance and the quality America for the fi rst time. Again, the choice of of the published proceedings of all the Mummy venue, San Diego, aside from the usual precon- Congresses clearly underscore how farsighted Art ditions, relied on proximity to truly archaeologi- was back in the early 1990s. Th ere was indeed a cally interesting areas. Furthermore the Mummy need for a special forum for presenting mummy Congress was able to collaborate with another meet- studies, a forum that would ensure that mummies ing (American Association for the Advancement are seen in their cultural, historical, and archaeo- of Science, Pacifi c Division). logical contexts, linking paleopathology inextri- Th e meeting was held on the Spanish cably with archaeology, and natural science with Plateresque style campus of the University of San cultural history. Furthermore, from the beginning, Diego, in its Institute for Peace and Justice. Th e the special relationship between the Congress Congress was organized by Alana Cordy-Collins venue and its geographical location near to, or and Rose Tyson of the Anthropology Department curating, actual mummies and mummy fi nds, gave into 16 symposia, a paleoimaging workshop—held these congresses their own special feel. As such, at the San Diego Museum of Man—two sessions of the Mummy Congresses have always stood slightly contributed papers, and a poster session (40 post- apart from the many other annual, biennial, or ers presented). David Hunt of the Smithsonian triennial more specialized medical, archaeologi- Institution’s Natural History Museum gave the cal, or anthropological meetings, usually held in Plenary address. Ethical issues have always been more “characteristically” urban convention cen- discussed at the Congresses, and probably no one ters. Emerging trends in mummy studies have better understands and respects these issues than also always found a receptive Congress organiza- the participants. Th ese are people who locate, tion. New sessions focusing on new investigative

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techniques, or simply new mummy fi nds from a Fundación ERIGAIE, Instituto Canario specifi c locality, have oft en served to secure due de Bioantropología (OAMC- Cabildo recognition and discussion. de Tenerife), and Departamento de Th e level of attendance at the mummy con- Antropología (Universidad de los Andes, gresses has been quite stable, and it will be inter- Colombia). 2001. esting to follow the future of congresses. However, Chungará. Revista de Antropología Chilena, whatever the future, it is certain that all of us who 32. Actas del III Congreso Mundial de have been fortunate to attend one or more of the Estudios sobre Momias. 1998. Arica (Chile). Mummy Congresses will always think about that 2000. occasion as something special; a congress not quite Mummies in a New Millenium. Proceedings like the others. of the IV World Congress on Mummy Studies. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 2001. Nuuk (Greenland): Greenland National All the Mummy Congresses have Museum and Archives and Danish Polar resulted in scholarly proceedings volumes, a Center. 2003. treasure trove for any scientist interested in Journal of Biological Research. Proceedings mummies. of the V World Congress on Mummy Studies. Proceedings of the I World Congress on 2004. LXXX, I. Torino (Italy). 2005. Mummy Studies. 1992. Santa Cruz de Tenerife Mummies and Science. World mummies (Canary Islands, Spain): Museo Arqueológico research. Proceedings of the VI World Congress y Etnográfi co de Tenerife. Organismo on Mummy Studies. 2007. Edited by Pablo Autónomo de Museos y Centros. Cabildo de Atoche- Peña, Conrado Rodríguez- Martín, Tenerife. 1995. and Ángeles Ramírez Rodríguez. Santa Studies on ancient mummies and Cruz de Tenerife: Academia Canaria de la archaeology. Proceedings of the II World Ciencia, Ayuntamiento de Teguise, Cabildo de Congress on Mummy Studies. 1995. Lanzarote, Cajacanarias, Fundación MAPFRE Edited by Felipe Cárdenas- Arroyo and Guanerteme, and Universidad de Las Palmas Conrado Rodríguez- Martín. Bogotá: de Gran Canaria. 2008.

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