At the time of de Brazza ’s writing , the number of mummies in Venzone was numbered at 42 . Following an earthquake in the area in 1976 , the number has since been reduced to only 15 . Their declining number , understandably , has made it rather difficult to study precisely what the conditions behind their mummification had truly been . As University of Minnesota professor Arthur C. Aufderheide recounts , while the community of Venzone may be “ incredibly hospitable , ” those with jurisdiction over the bodies have often refused even Aufderheide himself to collect samples for analysis . In turn , this means that only already-collected cultures can generally be used today in analyzing what conditions might have caused mummification
earthquake in the area in 1976
1976 Friuli earthquake
Mummies of Venzone