The Woman from Leuk (Switzerland)—Discovery, Conservation, and Interdisciplinary Investigations of a Seventeenth-Century Mummy

Abstract

During the excavation of St. Stephan’s Church in Leuk (Switzerland) in the 1980s, a well-preserved mummy with clothing and shoes was found in a wooden coffin. Subsequently, the mummy underwent restoration, but the observations have never been published. Therefore, an interdisciplinary investigation was recently organized that included a thorough archaeological and anthropological documentation in collaboration with specialists in costume history and leatherworking. The aim was to gather evidence for the dating and preservation mechanism, as well as to determine the biological profile of the individual. The investigation was accompanied by a noninvasive examination with a mobile x-ray device, which enabled identification of sex, age, body height, and pathologies. The clothing (cape, blouse, skirt, drawers) and the shoes were subjected to a detailed stylistic and technological examination. The individual is female, aged 45–60 years, with foot deformities that might be related to constricting footwear. Stylistic details of the shoes indicate that the burial dates from the first half of the 17th century, more precisely to the 1630s. Despite her simple clothing, the burial location attests to her respected position in society.