Über den Erwerb und Verbleib der Mumien und Schädel, gesammelt von Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen

Abstract

The Prussian physician, botanist, and explorer Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen served as a ship's doctor in South America from 1830 to 1832, on the recommendation of Alexander von Humboldt. Partly following Humboldt's footsteps, he acquired six "Peruvian" skulls and two "Peruvian" mummies during this voyage. The two mummies are now part of the collection of the Fächerverbund Anatomie, Charité, Berlin. While one of the mummies has been skeletonized, the other still retains skin and soft tissue. However, since no grave goods or parts of the burial bundle have survived for any of the mummies, their cultural classification remains uncertain. Two of the six skulls acquired by Meyen could probably be identified. They are now cared for in the depot of the National Museums in Berlin. The handling of the mummies and skulls from pre-Columbian South American cultures is a good example of research and collection practices in the 19th century.