While doing research on Kennewick I was reminded of an article published in the 1989 Journal of Forensic Sciences. The article concerned attempts to identify Mozart’s skull based on pictures of Mozart. Said pictures indicated Mozart had an abnormally shaped skull. Researchers hypothesized that this was caused by the premature uniting of the metopic suture:
which can cause a deformed skull. The article itself was interesting. Even more interesting was how Mozart’s skull came to be lost in the first place.
Mozart’s death was somewhat unexpected and he was buried in a hurry. Several years later it was realized that they had done the great composer an injustice. His body was exhumed and the casket was put on a wagon for transport to Salzburg where a proper funeral would be held. As the wagon was rounding a corner the carriage driver was shocked to see a goat in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, they were going to fast to stop and ran the poor thing over -sending it to an unearned final resting place in a goatherd’s cooking pot. The carriage carrying Mozart’s mortal remains flipped over and the casket went tumbling. When it came to a stop the lid flipped open to reveal Mozart furiously erasing the scores to all his great symphonies. “Mozart!” the stunned members of the funeral procession cried “Whatever are you doing?”
To which Mozart replied “Why, I’m decomposing!”
And you thought you were going to get a serious story! Bwahahaha!
Filed under: Forensic Anthropology, Osteology, Paleopathology, Silliness |
Afarensis: Anthropology, Evolution, and Science 
Ha hahahahahhah! That was a good one. Yes, I was wondering, as I was reading, how they knew which body was his. Wasn’t he buried with all the other indigent, in a mass grave?
Yes he was. There is still some dispute over whether the ID was correct. Recently they have found the skeleton of his neice and are going to do a DNA comparison.
You got me fooled too,I was expecting some fantastic revelations on Mozart’s physical
assets that would explain his genius ability to compose and perform music of his own.
No skull=no genius.(sure bet).
Sorry,
When the opportunity arises to tell a bad joke “resistence is futile”