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Guanajuato – the Mexican city, which is the capital state of the same name in the center of the country. In the sixteenth century land where it is now located, were captured by the Spaniards from the Aztecs. These territories attracted Europeans with valuable mines with precious metals. As soon as they came into full possession of the colonists, here began the extraction of gold and silver for the king. Throughout for several centuries the city was extremely rich and prestigious for residence.
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Want to lie in the ground – pay
When Mexico got in the mid-nineteenth century independence, and the peasants got rid of colonial status, the local rich did not want to lose high incomes, therefore taxes for the liberated population grew at an incredible rate. Very soon here even cemetery places became paid, and it was necessary to pay for the grave not once, but every five years. If the relatives of the deceased did not have the opportunity to contribute the next board, the body was exhumed and transferred to a specially a basement reserved for this. The poor were not buried at all, but immediately stored in the dungeon. Bodies of mexicans who did not have relatives, also not subjected to burial.
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Museum Creation
At first, the corpses lay quietly in the basement, but the prosperous the owners of the cemetery felt that this was no good either, and decided to organize an illegal business. They created in the dungeon a kind of museum where everyone could for a fee look at mummies and skeletons. This enterprise remained underground until 1969 when terrible exhibits an impromptu museum began to show openly. Museum received official status, the descendants of the owners of the cemetery became regularly pay taxes to the state.
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Selective Horror
As it turned out, the number of bodies exhumed was simply colossal. Moreover, not every one expelled from the cemetery people were transferred to the museum. Only the scariest ones were selected here bodies that can shock visitors to the institution. Most exhibits are formed by natural way mummies – decaying bodies for obvious reason not exhibited at the museum. It should be noted that in Mexico the deceased never embalmed, because it is too expensive, but, except Moreover, contrary to local religion.
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The most famous screaming mummies
Mexicans, whose remains can be seen here, were dying from various reasons. The cholera epidemic that began in 1833 killed many. IN the museum can also find many miners who died from occupational diseases. It is noteworthy that the corpses of women here much more than male bodies, because for representatives the weaker sex then was more difficult and dangerous.
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One of the most popular exhibits at the Mummy Museum in Guanajuato is Dr. Remigo Leroy. The man was quite wealthy, however, he had no relatives at all. Moreover, he did not take care about buying a place in the cemetery and died suddenly, so his immediately placed in the basement. The remains of his expensive clothes managed to survive to this day, while the simple robes of the poor have long decayed.
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The body of Ignasia Aguilar is another famous exhibit. institutions. The woman was a faithful wife, a loving mother and hardworking housewife. When relatives did not find money extend the burial time for another five years, cemetery staff exhumed the corpse and were horrified. The remains lay in a strange pose: they were skewed, the woman’s hands were pressed to her face, her mouth wide open, and clothes tattered. It turned out that unhappy buried alive in a state of lethargic sleep.
In the museum you can also find a woman who strangled her own husband. The rope that she used still weighs on her neck murderer. The executed killer himself is nearby in a decapitated condition.
Why mummies scream
Dried bodies with open mouths are the most popular exhibits of the museum. True, the fact that the mouths of mummies disclosed as if in a silent cry, does not mean that these people died in terrible torment. Similar frightening facial expression appears in the deceased if their jaw is badly tied. Those who opened a museum, knew about it and specially made the simplest garter, achieving the desired effect.
Mexico Mummies
