| Perhaps the most famous relic in Croatia is kept at the Archeological museum. The mummified body from Thebes was bought by Mihael Bari in Egypt in 1848-49, which you may think seems perfectly reasonable, yet the mummy is Etruscan and had no business being across the Mediterranean. The Etruscans controlled large parts of west Italy, including modern day Tuscany, from around 8 to 5 B.C. and only basics of their language, which is pre-indo-European, are understood. The Zagreb Mummy, like many celebrities, is actually more famous for her clothes than her personal talents. After her owner died it was discovered that the bandages the mummy was wrapped in are strips of a book made of linen. This book is the longest preserved text in the Etruscan language and appears to be something similar to a liturgical calendar. The mummy is on permanent display but her bonds are locked away and only revealed to experts. |