Two small mummies in the Egyptian collection of the Vatican Museums have intrigued scholars for decades. Often referred to as “pseudo mummies” or “miniature mummies”, these cylindrical bundles—wrapped in linen bandages, painted with human portraits and covered in a uniform brownish substance—were believed to be ancient and contain the remains of either small children or animals. The speaker, also director of the Vatican Mummy Project, shares recent scientific analysis, revealing a new interpretation of these curious objects.