Just a Simple Archivist

The “Galera Mummy,” one of the best-preserved bodies from European prehistory.

In 2002, a burial (number 121) containing human remains was discovered in the village of Castellón Alto (Granada), including a man between 27 and 29 years old and a child of about 4 years old, both partially mummified. The oval-shaped burial was excavated into the slope of a terrace within a dwelling. The mummification of the bodies is entirely natural due to dehydration, as the burial maintained special conditions of isolation without oxygen or humidity. The male mummy retains remnants of long, dark hair on his head, styled with two side braids and a central ponytail. He also has a beard and body hair. Muscle tissue was also found, along with an esparto grass shin guard, the wooden handle of an adze, and the child's woolen cap. There are no signs of struggle or injuries that would suggest a violent death, leading to the belief that he may have died of natural causes. The child, specialists believe, was exhumed from an initial burial and moved to the side of the adult, who could be his father, after the latter's death.