Mexico: What happened to the 19th century mummy kept in the museum?
Mexico News: The incident has now sparked a dispute between Mexico's Federal Archaeological Agency and the Guanajuato state government over the maintenance of the country's mummified bodies.
Guanajuato Museum: A major controversy has arisen in the museum of Guanajuato in Mexico. According to a report by Mashable, the hand of a 19th-century mummy in the museum is broken. Mummies are kept for display in this museum. It is said that the mummies kept here were buried in the early 1800s and were excavated in the 1860s.
The incident has now sparked a dispute between Mexico's federal archaeological agency and the Guanajuato state government over the maintenance of the country's mummified bodies.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said that during recent renovation work at the museum, a mummy's arm broke off.
INAH raised serious questions
INAH wrote in a statement, 'This incident shows that the way the museum's collection was transferred was not correct and instead of following the proper method, the work done caused damage.' The statement further said, 'It seems that this situation is related to the lack of knowledge about proper protocols and lack of training of the staff responsible for carrying out these works.'
INAH has now demanded an audit of the permissions and procedures followed during the museum’s renovation, citing a lack of knowledge and training among staff.
Who owns the museum?
INAH believes it has jurisdiction over the mummies because they are "national heritage," while Guanajuato considers them a tourist attraction. Due to alleged mismanagement, the institute is pressing for greater involvement in the care and display of the 100 mummies at the museum, controlled by the Guanajuato government.
It is noteworthy that a mummy is a person or animal whose body has been dried or preserved after death. The practice of preserving the body as a mummy was prevalent in many parts of the world.
Political implications of the dispute
Political implications are also being drawn from this dispute. According to a CBS report, the state and city of Guanajuato are ruled by the conservative National Action Party, which the Morena party - which is in power at the federal level - considers its arch-enemy.