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CBC
05-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Scientists discover 18th-century Austrian mummy was embalmed through the rectum
Scientists have figured out how the body of an 18th-century Austrian vicar has remained so well-preserved for nearly 300 years — and it's unlike anything they've seen before. Kept in a church crypt in a remote Austrian village, he's long been known as the "air-dried chaplain." But according to a recent CT scan he was, in fact, dried from the inside out. "We got a look into the inside of the body, and there we found that the abdominal and pelvic cavities were almost completely stuffed with some mysterious material," Andreas Nerlich, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich pathologist who led the research, told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. A partial autopsy revealed the stuffing is a mix of wood chips, twigs, dried plants and fabrics, which would have soaked up all the bodily fluids and moisture that normally cause decay. But, unlike in other cases of intentional mummification, there were no visible incisions anywhere on the man's body. "The only way for this insertion was the anal canal, which they had used for all the stuffing of this material inside the body," Nerlich said. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, describe a previously unheard-of embalming technique. A newly discovered embalming technique Scientists found traces of zinc chloride in the rectal stuffing, which Nerlich says would have had a drying effect, while also killing bacteria that emerges in the decaying process. There was no internal damage to his upper body cavities, suggesting the material was inserted from below. The study concludes the embalmer most likely had to cut through the upper rectum or colon. Andrew Nelson, chair of the department of anthropology at Western University in London, Ont., called it "extremely interesting." "Somebody knew what they were doing," said Nelson, who was not involved in the research. Nelson says some ancient Egyptian and Peruvian mummification practices involved "eviscerating" the anus — cutting it open to remove organs and entrails. But he's never seen anything quite like this. "It certainly highlights the sort of thing that every time you do a CT scan of a mummy, you never know what you're going to find," he said. Who was he? The man in question is believed to be Austrian vicar Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, an aristocratic monk who died from infectious disease in 1746 at the age of 37. His body has long rested at St. Thomas am Blasenstein, a church north of the Danube River in Austria. A few years after his death, rumours began swirling about his remarkably intact body, Nerlich said. According to CNN, the mysterious preservation drew pilgrims to the village who believed the remains might bestow healing properties. The new study confirms a lot of local knowledge about the man. Radiocarbon dating shows he died between 1734 and 1780, likely 30 to 50 years, as expected. An analysis of his bone, skin and teeth reveal a diet rich in grain and meat, in keeping with the food supply of a local parish vicar. His skeleton showed no signs of stress, which would be typical of the relatively comfortable life of a man of the cloth. How did he die? In the year 2000, a pharmacologist from the University of Vienna scanned the vicar's body with a portable X-ray machine and found a small round object nestled in his lower bowel, leading to speculation he'd swallowed a poisonous capsule. The truth turned out to be much more mundane. The item is, in fact, "a little glass pearl" commonly used to embroider fabrics. "It must have been coming to the body just by chance during this stuffing," Nerlich said. The study concludes the vicar most likely died from complications from tuberculosis, as his body showed several signs of the disease. Why was he embalmed that way? Just because the unusual embalming technique has never been documented before doesn't mean it was rare, says Nerlich. He suspects it has been a method of preserving bodies in the short term when moving them from one place to another. In this case, the vicar's remains may have been prepared for transport to his original monasteryin Waldhausen im Strudengau, but ended up remaining in the village crypt for unknown reasons. Nerlich says a number of stars had to align for him and his team to make this discovery. Had the man been buried rather than left in a dry Alpine crypt, he likely would have decayed. What's more, his team only performed these tests because the church needed some upkeep, and they were able to borrow the body for study during renovations. Canadian bioarchaeologist Heather Gill-Frerking says the study is an example of how modern technology is "vital to unravelling ancient mysteries." But she says she wishes the researchers had not opened up the body to examine what they found in their scans. "This particular project revealed some valuable information, but I am not a proponent of the invasive, destructive autopsy approach to the analysis of mummies," she told CBC in an email. Nelson says it's always important, when studying mummies, to centre their humanity. "It's kind of titillating to think of, you know, stuffing things up his rectum. But something that's always important to recognize is that these are people," he said.
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
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mummy mystery solved: ‘air-dried' priest was embalmed via rectum
The mystery of a mummy from an Austrian village has been solved, according to researchers who say it was embalmed in an unexpected way – via the rectum. Intrigue had long swirled around the mummified body stored in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein. The remains were rumoured to be the naturally preserved corpse of an aristocratic vicar, Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746 at the aged of 37, gaining the mummy the moniker of the 'air-dried chaplain'. Now experts say they have discovered the body was embalmed with the abdominal and pelvic cavities packed with wood chips, fragmented twigs, fabrics such as hemp and silk, and zinc chloride – materials that would have absorbed fluids inside the body. Dr Andreas Nerlich, a pathologist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany and first author of the study, said the discovery was a surprise as there was no external evidence for such a process. 'The body wall was not opened – therefore the only entrance possible was the rectum,' he said, noting this was very different from previously known methods of embalming, including those from ancient Egypt. Writing in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, Nerlich and colleagues reported how the mummy had previously been externally examined by experts and studied via X-rays among other investigations. While the X-rays did not detect the internal stuffing, they did reveal a round structure inside the mummy's left lower bowel – leading to rumours that the individual had died after swallowing a poisonous capsule. During a recent renovation of the crypt, Nerlich and colleagues gained approval to carry out a partial autopsy, CT scans and other analyses. The researchers discovered the mummy – which has a well-preserved upper body, but decay to the face, lower legs and feet – is that of a man, most likely between 35 and 45 years of age, with radiocarbon dating of a skin sample suggesting he died between 1734 and 1780. The team note these insights fit with what is know about Sidler, adding that an analysis of bone, tooth and skin samples revealed the man's diet was consistent with that of a local parish vicar in the region, being rich in animal products and central European grain varieties. As expected for a man of the cloth who had an easy life, the skeleton showed no signs of stress – while the corpse showed evidence of long-term pipe-smoking and bunions. 'Both wearing pointy shoes and smoking [a] pipe are very typical for a priest at that time,' said Nerlich. As for the 'poisonous capsule', the researchers discovered the object was a single glass bead – similar to those used for rosaries – that may have entered the body as a decoration on the fabric used for stuffing. Sidler's cause of death, the team added, was most likely severe bleeding into the lungs as a result of tuberculosis, with the body showing signs of the disease. Yet why Sidler was embalmed remains unclear. While the team said the evidence suggests it was carried out to avoid the spread of infection by miasma – or 'bad air' – Nerlich said another potential explanation was that Sidler was preserved for transport to his home monastery of Waldhausen. And he may not have been the only one to receive such treatment. 'This is the first case with this type of documented embalming,' Nerlich said. 'So we have no idea how often or where this has been performed, although we assume that this type of 'short-term preservation' was used much more often than we might expect from this single case.'
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.'
