What a strange tourist attraction this is… basically the local people who did not keep the yearly payments up on their graves were going to have the bodies dug up and the grave reused. There are 119 mummies on display.
The soil properties, the dry climate and time appear to have naturally mummified the bodies and in some cases their clothing. The bodies were put on display at “El Museo de las Momias” and are those buried during a cholera outbreak, it is possible that has contributed to their state.
The bodies were from people that had died between 1865 and 1958. The law stated that the graves had to have a yearly payment but around 90% of the bodies had to be desinterred due to non paymemt, around 2% of them naturally mummified. A law stopped the practise in 1958 but the original mummies were moved into the museum so people can pay to see them.
It’s not something for the faint of heart, I would advise before clicking on the video that you take into consideration there are some children and other subjects in there that may be upsetting.
Due to the spread of the disease and epidemic of cholera the dead were buried quickly, unfortunately some of these bodies were buried alive. The museum is a bit of a creepy place but as with all things I find, it peaked my curiosity. One of the things I did find interesting is that the original Nosferatu film maker Werner Herzog took movies of them to assist him with the authenticity of the film!
Perhaps more terrifying than the original mummy video – a song by Toyah Wilcox devoted to it!