A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Studying the “Angioletti” of Palermo: A Case Study Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Interdisciplinary Non-Adult Mummy Research

The largest assemblage of mummies in Europe can be found in the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily. This internationally renowned site contains the mummified and partially skeletonized remains of approximately 1,284 individuals, of which at least 163 have been identified as non-adults. A multi-disciplinary research project focusing on 43 late modern (1787-1880 CE) non-adult mummies was launched in 2021 with the aim of learning more about the demographic composition of minors in the Capuchin Catacombs, their health status at the time of death, and the mummification rite itself. A multidisciplinary team, comprised of bioanthropologists, radiographers, a radiologist, and an orthopaedic surgeon, was assembled and, through the use of radiography, a greater insight into non-adult demography, health and disease, and mortuary rites afforded to these young individuals was obtained. Alongside a summary of the project’s main findings, this presentation will explore the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary non-adult mummy research, much of which is directly related to other contexts that involve the study of juvenile bioanthropology from archaeological and forensic contexts.