Latest news with #AndreasNerlich
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Determine Identity of Centuries-Old, Well-Preserved Mummy
Researchers have determined the identity of a centuries-old mummy found in Austria, according to a study published in Frontiers in Medicine, and unearthed a previously unknown embalming method in the process. Archaeologists have determined that the body belonged to a church vicar who lived in the community roughly 300 years ago. The mummy showed almost no signs of decay due to the embalming method, which saw the corpse stuffed with wooden chips, branches, twigs, and fabrics before being doused in zinc chloride. It's the first time scientists have encountered such an embalming method. 'This extensive multidisciplinary approach not only confirmed the identity of the mummy, but also the reason for the good preservation of the dead body over a period of around 240 years in the Middle European climate,' the study authors wrote. 'The evidence suggests that the preservation was performed to avoid the spread of infection by miasma. Possible later opening of the coffin or relocation of the human remains would have found a remarkably intact corpse and could easily result in miraculous beliefs by the local population.'Scientists found that the body showed significant decay on the lower half of its body but hardly any of the top half, which they believe is a result of the novel embalming method. 'This type of preservation may have been much more widespread but unrecognized in cases where ongoing postmortal decay processes may have damaged the body wall so that the manipulations would not have been realized as they were,' lead author Andreas Nerlich said. Through their detailed analyses of the body, scientists were ultimately able to positively identify to whom it belonged. 'The unusually well-preserved mummy in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein is the corps of a local parish vicar, Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746,' Nerlich explained. 'Our investigation uncovered that the excellent preservation status came from an unusual type of embalming, achieved by stuffing the abdomen through the rectal canal with wood chips, twigs and fabric, and the addition of zinc chloride for internal drying.'
India Today
05-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
279-year-old mummy reveals never-before-seen method of preserving human body
For decades, scientists and researchers have been studying how ancient cultures preserved human bodies to the extent that they still have DNA intact. Now, they have hot upon a mysterious process in a small Austrian have analysed a mummy from a small Austrian village, which provided insights into little-known mummification techniques and allowed them to identify the body that has been dead for 279 unusually well-preserved mummy in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein is the corps of a local parish vicar, Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746. "Our investigation uncovered that the excellent preservation status came from an unusual type of embalming, achieved by stuffing the abdomen through the rectal canal with wood chips, twigs and fabric, and the addition of zinc chloride for internal drying,' Dr Andreas Nerlich, a pathologist at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat and first author of the Frontiers in Medicine article said. External appearance of the mummy from the ventral (A) and dorsal side (B) showing a completely intact body wall. Credit: Andreas Nerlich. advertisementCT scanning and extensive analysis revealed that the mummy's upper body was fully intact, whereas the lower extremities and head showed considerable post-mortem decay.A variety of foreign materials were discovered in the abdominal and pelvic cavity, the team identified wood chips from fir and spruce, fragments of branches, as well as different fabrics, including linen, hemp, and flax. All these materials were easily available at that time and in that region.'Clearly, the wood chips, twigs, and dry fabric absorbed much of the fluid inside the abdominal cavity,' said noted that this way of embalming is different to better-known methods where the body is opened to prepare it. Here, however, the embalming materials were inserted via the rectum.'This type of preservation may have been much more widespread but unrecognized in cases where ongoing postmortal decay processes may have damaged the body wall so that the manipulations would not have been realized as they were,' Nerlich pointed out.A small glass sphere with holes on both ends – perhaps an application to the fabric of monastic origin was also discovered inside the mummy. The mummy was long rumoured to belong to Sidler, but the origin of these rumours is unknown. It was, however, only the current investigation that provided certainty as to its identity. analyses showed that the mummy died most likely aged between 35 and 45 years old and most probably between 1734 and lack of major signs of stress on the skeleton fits the life of a priest without hard physical activity. There also was evidence of a long-term smoking habit, and lung tuberculosis towards the end of his life.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mummified Austrian priest's rectum played important role in preservation
An exceptionally well-preserved corpse entombed in a small Austrian village's church crypt has not only provided researchers with a previously unknown method of mummification. An analysis published May 2 in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, also solved the centuries' old mystery about the mummy's identity. But the unique preparation techniques involved here aren't necessarily for the faint of heart. Mummification is most frequently associated with ancient Egypt, but the practice of intentionally preserving the dead can be traced to multiple cultures throughout history. The Guanche people of the Canary Islands typically mummified all deceased members of their community until the arrival of Spanish settlers in the 14th century, while Aztecs conducted similar rituals for certain rulers and warriors. Catholic and Orthodox Christians also preserved saints and venerated clergy as recently as the 18th century—including the mysterious 'Air-Dried Chaplain' of Perg, Austria. Interred in the church crypt of St. Thomas am Blasenstein roughly 26 miles from Linz, Austria, this particular mummy has long perplexed experts due to its excellent state and mystery identity. Researchers at Germany's Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich were recently granted access to perform a detailed analysis of the body that included a focal autopsy, radiocarbon dating, and CT scans. After opening the torso, the team catalogued a variety of locally sourced materials in both the abdominal and pelvic cavities. These included fir and spruce wood chips, branch fragments, as well as fabrics like hemp, flax, and linen. A toxicology report also indicated trace amounts of zinc chloride, a strong drying agent. 'Clearly, the wood chips, twigs, and dry fabric absorbed much of the fluid inside the abdominal cavity,' explained pathologist and study first author, Andreas Nerlich. How the materials were placed inside the body also differed greatly from more well understood methods (and the squeamish may want to skip ahead). Instead of opening the body, preparers inserted the embalming ingredients through the rectum. Nerlich's team theorizes this mummification approach may have been more widespread during that time, but similar bodies simply haven't held up as well as the example from St. Thomas am Blasenstein. That said, it wasn't a perfect job—During the examination, researchers discovered a small glass bead in the mummy with holes at either end. Given it's the only one they found, the team believes it was part of a monastic fabric that was accidentally left in the body. Misplaced accessories aside, the team is also now confident about the mummy's identity: Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, a local parish vicar who died in 1746. Although long suspected to be Rosenegg, there wasn't clear evidence linking him to the body. The postmortem analysis indicates the man was between 35 and 45 years old when he died, which aligns with Sidler's biography. The body's condition also indicated a high-quality diet that would have matched the vicar's, based largely on meat, inland fish, and central European grains. A lack of physical activity aligns with his church roles, while there was also evidence of lung tuberculosis near the end of his life indicative of long-term smoking. 'We have some written evidence that cadavers were 'prepared' for transport or elongated laying-out of the dead – although no report provides any precise description,' said Nerlich. 'Possibly, the vicar was planned for transportation to his home abbey, which might have failed for unknown reasons.'
Egypt Independent
02-05-2025
- Health
- Egypt Independent
Secrets of enigmatic Alpine mummy revealed by scientists
Stored in a church crypt in a remote Alpine village, a set of unusually well-preserved human remains has long been a rich source of rumor and speculation. Local lore suggested the mummified body, thought to be that of an 18-century clergyman who succumbed to an infectious disease, had been recovered from a grave a few years after death and transferred to the crypt at St. Thomas am Blasenstein, a church in a village north of the Danube River in Austria. The body's miraculous preservation — with skin and tissue intact — early on attracted pilgrims who thought the remains might bestow healing properties. Centuries later, a capsule-shaped object spotted in an X-ray scan of the mummy revealed that the cleric might have met a more sinister end, suggesting he may have been poisoned. Now, a team of scientists is offering new insight into many of the unanswered questions surrounding the mysterious mummy, nicknamed the 'air-dried chaplain.' The revelations come after a recent renovation prompted by a water leak in the crypt created an unexpected opportunity to perform a state-of-the-art scientific analysis on the corpse. 'We took the mummy for a few months for examination with our specialized teams, CT scans and so on. In the meantime, they had time to renovate,' said Andreas Nerlich, a professor of medicine at Germany's Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, who led the research. 'It was a win-win situation. We got the mummy for long enough to do a perfect analysis.' Through CT scanning, radiocarbon dating and chemical analysis of bone and tissue samples, Nerlich and his colleagues were able to confirm the mummy's identity and determine the unique way in which the body had been preserved for so long. The researchers reported their findings in a paper published Friday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine. A previously unknown embalming method The study's biggest surprise came as a result of the CT scan: The scientists found the mummy's abdominal and pelvic cavity packed with material such as wood chips from fir and spruce trees, linen, hemp and flax fabric, including some that was delicately embroidered. Additional toxicological analysis revealed traces of zinc chloride and other elements. 'It was really unexpected because the body walls were completely intact,' he said. To explain this apparent contradiction, the team theorized that the material was likely inserted through the rectum. And the researchers believe it's the mixture of materials that has kept the mummy in its apparent air-dried state. 'The chips and the fabric would have (bound) water. The zinc chloride would have had a drying effect and reduced the load of bacteria in the bowel,' Nerlich said. This approach to embalming differs from better-known methods used in ancient Egypt in which opening the body is necessary. The technique seen in the clergyman also hasn't been reported in scientific literature before, Nerlich added. He said he believes the method, though it's not recorded in any textbooks from the time, might have been widely used in the 18th century to preserve a corpse for transport or viewing. Mummification practices were likely much more widespread and diverse in the past, said Gino Caspari, an archaeologist and editor of 'The Book of Mummies: An Introduction to the Realm of the Dead.' When examined with new interdisciplinary analysis techniques, mummies provide a richer source for studying the past than purely skeletal remains, Caspari added. 'We can gain a lot of knowledge from mummified remains: This ranges from the study of disease and medical treatments to substance use and cultural aspects like attitudes towards death and the body,' said Caspari, who wasn't involved in the research. While it is clear that the 'air-dried chaplain' is not a natural mummy, more detailed analysis is needed to say definitively whether zinc chloride was used to preserve the remains, said Marco Samadelli, a senior researcher at the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research, a private research institute in Bolzano, Italy, where Ötzi the Iceman is located. Samadelli noted that small amounts of arsenic, a well-known embalming agent, were also detected in the mummy. Decoding the mummy's identity The team concluded that the mummified body was that of Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, an aristocrat who was a monk before becoming the parish vicar at St. Thomas am Blasenstein for about six years. He died while in that post in 1746 at the age of 37. Among locals, the mummy was rumored to be Sidler, although there was no written evidence to that effect, according to the study. Radiocarbon dating of the specimen placed the year of his demise between 1734 and 1780, and analyses of the body suggested an age at death from 30 to 50 years, with the most plausible span between 35 and 45 years. The dates in both cases align with what's known about Sidler's end, the study noted. Additionally, the study of chemical isotopes — variants of carbon and nitrogen that reflect plant or animal proteins consumed — from a bone sample taken from the mummy's spine revealed a high-quality diet based on grain and a large proportion of meat. 'This is well in line with the expected rural food supply of a local parish vicar,' the study authors wrote in their paper, adding that the absence of stress on the skeleton fitted the life of a priest lacking in hard physical activity. However, the study found that toward the end of the clergyman's life, he may have experienced food shortages, perhaps caused by the War of Austrian Succession underway at the time. What killed the 'air-dried chaplain'? The vicar, who had a long-term smoking habit, wasn't poisoned, the study determined. Instead, the researchers believe he suffered from chronic tuberculosis, which may have killed him by causing an acute pulmonary hemorrhage. Inside the mummy, the researchers found a small glass sphere with holes on both ends — perhaps part of a set of rosary beads accidentally trapped in the embalming material. This item, Nerlich said, was the bullet-shaped object picked up by an X-ray conducted in the early 2000s that had raised suspicions of a poisonous capsule. The team likewise found no evidence that the body had ever been buried and exhumed, Nerlich added. More likely, the body had been prepared to travel back to the vicar's 'mother monastery' 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away, but for reasons lost to time, the corpse was left in the church crypt, never to embark on its final journey.
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Shockingly intact mummy found perfectly preserved after bizarre ‘rectal twigging' method scientists have never seen
The mummy's upper body is well preserved, but the lower extremities and head show significant decay BUM-MIFIED Shockingly intact mummy found perfectly preserved after bizarre 'rectal twigging' method scientists have never seen Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEARLY 300-year-old mummy has been found "unusually well-preserved" after undergoing a bizarre embalming method. With its skin still remarkably intact, the 18th-century corpse was found with wood chips, twigs and fabric packed into his abdomen through his anus. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 The mummy's upper body is well preserved, but the lower extremities and head show significant decay Credit: Andreas Nerlich 9 The stuffing technique has never been seen before Credit: Andreas Nerlich 9 Upon opening the body, researchers found wood from fir and spruce trees, as well as fragments from branches Credit: Andreas Nerlich 9 There was also a number of different fabrics used, including linen, hemp and flax - which were popular at the time Credit: Andreas Nerlich Upon opening the body, researchers found wood from fir and spruce trees, as well as fragments from branches. There was also a number of different fabrics used, including linen, hemp and flax - which were popular at the time. The technique has never been seen before. "The unusually well-preserved mummy in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein is the corpse of a local parish vicar, Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746," said study lead author Dr. Andreas Nerlich, a research at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität that specialises in mummy research. "Our investigation uncovered that the excellent preservation status came from an unusual type of embalming, achieved by stuffing the abdomen through the rectal canal with wood chips, twigs and fabric, and the addition of zinc chloride for internal drying." The mummy's upper body is well preserved, but the lower extremities and head show significant decay. Researchers believe the combination of materials, and the addition of the drying agent zinc chloride, kept the mummy in good condition for nearly 300 years. "Clearly, the wood chips, twigs, and dry fabric absorbed much of the fluid inside the abdominal cavity," said Nerlich. Better-known methods, like those used by the ancient Egyptians, involve opening the body to prepare it. Shock footage reveals moment a medieval mummy is seized in house raid Here, however, the embalming materials were stuffed through the rectal canal. "This type of preservation may have been much more widespread but unrecognised in cases where ongoing postmortal decay processes may have damaged the body wall so that the manipulations would not have been realized as they were," suggested Nerlich. 9 Inside the mummy, researchers also found a single bead, which they believe could have been lost during the preparation of the body Credit: Andreas Nerlich 9 The mummy is assumed to be the preserved remains of a parish vicar named Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746 Credit: Andreas Nerlich Inside the mummy, researchers also found a single bead, which they believe could have been lost during the preparation of the body. It is not entirely clear who the mummy once was - but there are theories. Located in a church crypt in St. Thomas am Blasenstein, a small village in Austria near the Danube River, the mummy is known locally as the the "air-dried chaplain". It is assumed to be the preserved remains of a parish vicar named Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746. There was a lack of stress signs on the skeleton, according to experts, which fit the life of a priest without hard physical activity. The mummy is also believed to been between 35 and 45 years old when they died, between the years 1734 and 1780 - which match Sidler's life. People have long speculated the cause of the priest's death. An X-ray analysis in 2000 suggested his mummy contained a poison capsule. But new research, published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, squash this theory. The team conducted extensive analyses, including CT scanning, focal autopsy, and radiocarbon dating. Instead, they found evidence of long-term smoking and signs of tuberculosis in the lungs. 9 St Thomas am Blasenstein Credit: Nachrichten 9 Researchers believe the combination of materials, and the addition of the drying agent zinc chloride, kept the mummy in good condition for nearly 300 years Credit: Andreas Nerlich
