Historical excavation: Unveiling the gruesome mummies in Guanajuato

The Mummies of Guanajuato comprise a collection of naturally mummified bodies originally laid to rest in Guanajuato, Mexico.

These human remains were unearthed between 1870 and 1958, a period coinciding with the enforcement of a local tax mandating a fee for perpetual burial. In cases where this tax was neglected, bodies were exhumed, and it appears that those in the best state of preservation were carefully preserved in a nearby facility. Guanajuato’s climate fosters conditions conducive to natural mummification, although subsequent scientific analyses have revealed that some bodies underwent partial embalming procedures.

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The history behind the formation of the Mummies of Guanajuato

Due to the exigencies of the 1829–1851 cholera pandemic, additional cemeteries had to be opened in San Cayetano and Cañada de Marfil. Many bodies were promptly interred to mitigate the spread of the disease. It is believed that, in certain instances, individuals may have been inadvertently buried alive, leading to gruesome facial expressions. However, these perceived expressions are often the result of postmortem processes.

One of the mummies, Ignacia Aguilar, was among those mistakenly buried alive. Suffering from a peculiar ailment that intermittently mimicked death, her heart seemed to cease beating on multiple occasions. During one such episode, her heart appeared to remain still for over a day. Mistakenly believing her deceased, her relatives proceeded with her burial. Upon exhumation, it was observed that she was positioned face down, with her arm bitten, and her mouth filled with blood.

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The exhumation of the Mummies of Guanajuato began when a local law mandated families to pay a ‘burial tax’ for perpetual burial of their loved ones. Failure to pay resulted in body removal. These naturally mummified remains were then stored above ground, with people starting to pay to view them in the late 1800s. The law imposing the burial tax was abolished in 1958. As of 2006, the museum still exhibited 59 of the total 111 mummies in its collection.

As one of the most “chilling” destinations in the world

This is considered one of the creepiest destinations in the world, preserving hundreds of mummies of victims who succumbed to epidemics.

Many of the mummies share a common feature: their mouths agape, giving the impression that they once endured excruciating pain. Instead of being buried underground, these corpses were placed in airtight crypts, where severe oxygen deprivation slowed down the natural decomposition process.

The mummies include adults, children, and individuals of all ages. Many of them are remarkably well-preserved to the extent that features like eyebrows, beards, or fingernails are still intact. This location also houses the world’s smallest mummy: the fetus of a 4-month-old baby extracted from the womb of a woman who died from a cholera epidemic in the 1860s. Another small fetus, that of a newborn who died at six months old, is also housed here, named Baby Enrico.

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Historical excavation: Unveiling the gruesome mummies in Guanajuato

The history behind the formation of the Mummies of Guanajuato

As one of the most “chilling” destinations in the world

Perspective through video

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