A response from an archaeologist at the British Museum:

1) Yes, it's a possibility as the conditions under which it was mummified
probably changed when they moved it

2) Definitely, and they should take proper conservation measures. They
should ask the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology in Manchester!

On Tuesday, August 5, 2014, Ilana <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I have no input but this is the coolest thread I've read. :)
> Ilana Short
> Curatorial Intern
> The Bonnet House, Fort Laderdale, FL.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 5, 2014, at 4:59 PM, Helen Wirka <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> Has anyone had experience with mummified animals being unearthed in an
historic building? Our museum has a cat buried in the wall dating back to
1751-53. It was discovered in the 1970s during restoration, removed from
it's original location, photographed and then deposited in a new location
in our building--but still inside a wall.
> Please see the linked article, page 2:
http://www.nvrpa.org/uploads/Files/published_articles/Oct05.pdf
> We are considering opening up the wall cavity where the cat is now
located and putting in plexiglass so that visitors can see the mummified
animal. But we have a couple of questions.
> 1.) Might there be a possibility that the mummified cat has disintegrated
since the 1970s when it was put back into the wall?
> 2.) Would opening the wall cavity now possibly threaten the integrity of
the mummified cat?
> If anyone has experience with this or can direct me to a good resource on
mummified animals, I would really appreciate it.
> Thank you,
> Helen
>
> Helen Wirka
>
> Historic Site Specialist / Curator
>
> Carlyle House Historic Park
>
> A Property of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
>
> 121 N. Fairfax Street
>
> Alexandria VA 22314
>
> Phone: 703-549-2997
>
> Fax: 703-549-5738
>
> www,novaparks.com
>
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