Mummies have long been a horror genre staple; we’ve all seen the bandage-wrapped ghoul lurching towards whoever may have disturbed their eternal slumber, hellbent on revenge. In reality, embalming has often been used as a sign of respect for the dead and allows us a glimpse into ages gone by.
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Embalming has been used for thousands of years. The Chinchorro Culture in the Atacama Desert are some of the earliest people to artificially mummify their dead, with some of the bodies dating back to around 7020 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians are one of the most famous cultures for embalming, a tradition going back to 3200 BCE, and at the end of the article, there are step-by-step instructions on how they managed it without the chemicals we use today. Natural mummification can also happen on rare occasions, usually in specific conditions such as extreme cold, a lack of oxygen and arid conditions. They are often found in deserts, peat bogs or frozen glaciers. Read on to discover some of the most famous preserved bodies, but please be warned, there are pictures!
1 – Otzi the Iceman: Died between 3350 - 3105 BCE
Otzi was discovered by 2 German tourists on 19th September 1991 on the border of Italy and Austria on the east ridge of the Fineilspitze in the Otztal Alps. After being excavated and studied, experts found many wounds on Otzi, including the signs of an arrowhead in his left shoulder. He also had cuts and bruises to his hands, wrists and chest and head trauma, leading them to believe he was murdered and not a victim of exposure as initially thought. There is an interesting legend that Otzi is cursed, ala Tutankhamun, and that (so far) 7 people who were involved in his discovery and examination have died. Otzi is the oldest known natural mummy in Europe, and he is displayed in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy.
2 – The Cherchen Man: Died around 1000 BCE
The Cherchen Man was discovered in Zaghunluq near Qiemo in the Taklamakan Desert, China, in 1978. Found buried in a tomb of mud bricks with three women and a baby, those who discovered him were intrigued to find he was Caucasian, and his preserved clothing of a red twill tunic and leggings resembling a tartan pattern were made of European wool. How the (estimated) 50-year-old ended up in China is unknown, and he is now part of hundreds of mummies found, known as China’s Celtic Mummies.
3 – Tollund Man: Died C.405 - 380 BCE
This particular corpse was found in 1950 by a family digging in a peat bog near Tollund in the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. He was so well preserved that, at first, they believed he was a recent murder victim. Strangely, although he has a noose around his neck, he had been placed in a sleeping position with his eyes and mouth closed; because of the respect his body had been treated with, he was likely hanged as a human sacrifice rather than a criminal. Another body, Elling Woman, had been found in the same bog 12 years previously. Tollund Man can still be seen at Silkeborg Museum, Denmark.
4 – Lady Dai: Died 163 BCE
As the wife of the Marquis of Dai, Li Chang, during the Han Dynasty, Lady Dai was revered in death. In 1971, her tomb was discovered in a hillside; surprisingly, her body was still very much intact. Her skin hadn’t decomposed, and her joints could still be moved. Blood was still present in her veins, and her hair, including her eyelashes, was untouched by decay. Unfortunately, as soon as she was discovered, oxygen came into contact with her body, and it began to deteriorate (and hasn’t done much for her appearance, I have to say). You can still see her in the Hunan Provincial Museum.
5 – The Inca Ice Maiden: Died between 1440 and 1480
The Inca Ice Maiden, also known as Mummy Juanita, was found in 1995 on the summit of Mount Ampato in the Peruvian Andes, and experts believe she was around 12 years old when she died. The extreme cold preserved her body, allowing experts to study the body and come to the conclusion that she had died of head trauma, more than likely as a human sacrifice. Her body is displayed at Peru's Catholic University’s Museum of Andean Sanctuaries.
6 – John Torrington: 1825 – 1st January 1846
John was a Royal Navy stoker and part of the Franklin Expedition. Only in his early 20s, he died of pneumonia and lead poisoning in the Arctic Circle and was interred with three other expedition members. In the 1980s, his body was exhumed, having been buried under 5 feet of ice. Only John’s eyes and lips were damaged when they removed the coffin lid. His long, curly hair was still intact, and the handkerchief was still around his jaw to keep it in place (a common practice years ago to keep the jaw from hanging down in death). When he was autopsied, they still found traces of pneumonia within his lungs.
7 – Saint Bernadette: 7th January 1844 – 16th April 1879
As a young French girl, St. Bernadette claimed to witness apparitions of Mary, mother of Jesus. After her death, she astounded doctors by showing no signs of decomposition, and this was regarded as a medical miracle. When her face and hands eventually began to decompose, wax casts were placed over them to help keep them preserved. She can still be seen in her crystal coffin at the Chapel of Saint Bernadette in Nevers, France.
8 – George Mallory: 18th June 1886 – 8/9th June 1924
George Mallory and Andrew Irvin attempted to be the first to climb Mount Everest, Tibet, but sadly, they never made it. In 1999, George’s body was found on the ice-cold north face of the mountain, preserved by the temperature. He has since been honoured with an inscribed stone as his alma mater, Magdalene College, Cambridge, UK.
9 – Rosalie Lombardo: 13th December 1918 – 6th December 1920.
Rosalie was a 2-year-old Italian girl who tragically died of pneumonia. Her family were wealthy, allowing her heartbroken father to have her professionally embalmed. It was so well done by the embalmer, Alfredo Salafia, that her organs were still intact. There is a legend that, on occasion, she will open her eyes, but this is believed to be an optical illusion caused by the light. You can visit Rosalie at the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy.
10 – Elmer McCurdy: 1st January 1880 – October 7th, 1911
Surely you didn’t think I’d forgotten about our friend, Elmer! My favourite ever corpse. Elmer was the world’s worst criminal and was eventually killed by police in a shoot-out after another of his embarrassing attempts at robbery. But it was after his death that the fun really started. Elmer’s body was taken to a funeral director, where he was embalmed, but no one came forward to claim the body or (more importantly) pay for it. The funeral director decided that the most obvious thing to do (obviously) was to keep Elmer as a decoration, and he remained there for many years. Elmer went on to become a sideshow attraction, a prop and even a film star. To read his full story, click here.
And those are just a few examples of incredible human preservation. There are many more, and I will probably write about them in the not-too-distant future as it’s a subject I find fascinating. As always, please let me know what you think in the comments below; thank you for reading, take care of yourselves, and I will see you soon.
Step-by-Step Guide to Egyptian Mummification
Disclaimer: Please don’t try this at home; I would imagine it would stain the carpet.
1 – Insert a hook by the nose and remove the brain
2 – Cut the left side of the body near the stomach
3 – Remove all of the internal organs
4 – Allow the organs to dry out
5 – Place the intestines, lungs, liver, and stomach inside the canopic jars
6 – Place the heart back into the body
7 – Rinse the inside of the body with wine and spices. You will probably need to drink the rest of the wine at this point
8 – Cover the whole body with salt for 70 days
9 – After 40 days, stuff the body with sand or linen to help it keep shape
10 – After 70 days, wrap the entire body in bandages. Ta-da – your very own mummy!
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