A 2,500-YEAR-OLD Egyptian mummy has been returned to Stonyhurst College after more than 30 years.

The remains of the unidentified young boy, aged five or six, left the Clitheroe Catholic boarding school in the 1970s for testing at Man-chester University and the mummy was later placed in an exhibition.

Stonyhurst College has now installed special facilities to preserve the mummy and it has been allowed to return to its former home.

The mummy, which belongs to the college, at Hurst Green was discovered by a Jesuit missionary and archaeologist in 1850.

The missionary is believed to have worked at, or had links to, the traditional Jesuit school and donated the mummy on its discovery.

It has been part of Manchester Museum’s world- famous collection of Egyptian artefacts and, over the last 30 years, a series of forensic science investigat-ions, including scans and X-rays, have been carried out to learn more about the boy’s health and living conditions.

But very little is known about the boy’s background. No name is recorded, but investigations have indicated he was from a wealthy high-status family, as gold leaf was discovered on his head. Since its return the mummy has created a lot of interest with the pupils.

The relic will now be part of a display in the Long Room, which is dedicated to the study of science, the natural world and human anthropology.

Jan Graffius, curator at Stonyhurst College, said: “Human remains are not like any other museum object and need to be treated with respect and dignity.

“We can learn a great deal about our own past from them, but we should never forget that they were once living human beings like ourselves and treat their remains accordingly.

“That is why the case containing the mummy has a cloth cover.

“It will be part of a new display that will clarify our need to collect and display material, and we understand some people may be sensitive to seeing human remains.”