Visitors stop and stare at the mummified corpse of an unidentified woman nicknamed “the witch” on display behind bars at a museum exhibition stirring controversy in Mexico.
The wizened body — cloaked in a floral blouse and skirt, yellow hair still flowing from her head — is one of more than 100 naturally mummified corpses on display in Mexico’s central city of Guanajuato.
“I don’t know who decided to display the body in this way, but it has been exhibited like this for many years,” Guanajuato director of culture Jesus Borja said.
Photo: AFP
The exhibition has triggered a debate between those who consider the mummies to be part of the city’s cultural heritage and others who see the display as unethical commercial exploitation.
The corpses, which include babies, were exhumed from 1870 to 2004 due to a lack of space in a local cemetery.
Unable to contact relatives of the deceased, local officials designated them as “cultural heritage.”
Photo: AFP
They are a very profitable tourist attraction, generating about US$2 million in annual revenue for the municipality from about 600,000 visitors per year.
The mummies are kept in three museums in Guanajuato, which is known for its colonial architecture as well as its long tunnels and alleyways — remnants of a mining past.
Most of the corpses are exhibited upright in glass cases, with little space between their skulls and the display lights.
The controversy grew after several mummies were transported to the capital, Mexico City, about 350km by road from Guanajuato, to be shown at a tourist fair in March.
The Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History has voiced concern about a possible fungal growth on one of the bodies, after pictures showed white dots on the torso and legs.
“It’s worrying and strange that an assessment of such bodies was not made before their transfer,” the institute said in a statement.
Transportation of the remains was done with care, Borja said, adding that the mummies represent a generational “link.”
The Guanajuato government said it asked the institute to check all the remains before they were exhibited in Mexico City.
The mummy display has divided opinion among residents of Guanajuato.
“I would find it disrespectful if one of my relatives were in the exhibition,” said Luis Garcia, a 50-year-old tour guide.
However, Josefina Lemus, a 69-year-old retired teacher, said she would not mind being exhibited if her remains were mummified.
“I don’t think it’s denigrating,” she said, adding that “it’s unlikely relatives are still around.”
The mummification process can occur naturally as a body becomes dehydrated, said Ilan Leboreiro, an anthropologist who sits on a commission created by the institute to investigate the identities and condition of the mummies.
The panel hopes to restore dignity to the remains, Leboreiro said, criticizing the way in which the “witch” is exhibited.
“It’s not ethical to treat the remains of a human being that way,” he said.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS