(CNN) — A team of scientists is trying to find out why dozens of children were mummified and buried in catacombs at a convent on the Italian island of Sicily. At the Capuchin Catacombs, a macabre tourist attraction in Palermo, northern Sicily, the researchers will analyze the remains of 41 children buried in a designated room for children -- although there are a total of 163 children buried in the catacombs. "We want to try and understand the lives of these individuals, their health, development, and so on," Squires told CNN Thursday. Tony Gentile/ReutersLittle is known about these children, who were buried from 1787-1880 and are part of the largest collection of mummified remains in Europe, comprising at least 1,284 bodies. "So we know that they weren't the poorest members of society, but that's all we know, really."

Source: CNN January 07, 2022 01:11 UTC