Sergio Monteiro da Silva of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at the University of Sao Paulo, who took part in the excavations, does not believe the nuns were buried together.
“The second nun probably died years later and, during the burial, the first was pushed to the back,” he told the Folha de Sao Paulo.
Mr da Silva said the mummification process had probably happened naturally thanks to good ventilation and low humidity.
“There are no indications that the nuns were mummified,” he told Globo News.
Tests have been done on the bodies and archive research is being carried out to try to identify them. Ms Marino said she hoped the public would be able to view the bodies later this year.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 