Shrunken head's special journey .... with mummy

Elgin museum's Ecuadorian shrunken head.

IT has mystified and horrified in equal measure from within its glass casing, but soon visitors to Elgin Museum will learn what the much-revered Ecuadorian shrunken head would have looked like alive.

The famous artifact, on which locals believe the hair still grows, will be transported next week to the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee.

There, it will form part of the PhD research work of Tobias Houlton, which includes craniofacial analysis.

The shrunken head is not alone. The High Street museum’s much-loved Peruvian Princess mummy is also going under the microscope at Dundee.

Professors Caroline Wilkinson and Sue Black will carry out research in order to create an image of how the woman from the islet of Maretasse on Lake Titicaca would have actually appeared.

Other facts, hitherto unknown about her life, are also likely to be uncovered if the mummy stands up to analysis.

Unfortunately, the artefact will first need conservation due to deterioration over the years, crouched in the foetal position within its glass jar.

Research on the shrunken head will see CT and laser scans carried out to enable a 3D craniofacial reconstruction of the face, which arrived at the High Street building in the early 1900s.

Confirmation of its authenticity as well as the discovery of its age, sex, ancestry and its context could also be ascertained through anthropological assessment and hair analysis.

On return to Elgin, a computerised depiction of the shrunken head will be presented for exhibition, along with other research findings.

The mummy’s story will also be created into an exhibit, including body visualisations, an anthropology report, an assessment of lifestyle, and information on her background and historical context.

The Peruvian Princess was brought to Scotland in 1846, just three years after the museum first opened its doors. As well as facial analysis, university undergraduates under supervision will assess any disease or trauma; age and ancestry of the mummy; and her lifestyle.

Visualisations of the mummy’s body, from crouching to standing will then be created.

Bill Dalgarno, convener of the museum’s management committee, said the Peruvian Mummy is one of the museum’s oldest, and to some most gruesome, exhibits.

“To be quite honest, I think she is a bit horrific. But we’ll see,” said Mr Dargano, who will welcome the professors to the museum on Tuesday.

Presentations on the projects by the academics involved are planned at Elgin Museum, with dates to be confirmed.