Latest news with #LudwigMaximilianUniversityofMunich
NDTV
6 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Indian Students Choosing Destinations Beyond US & UK For Higher Studies, Here's Why
Study Abroad: While the US and UK are renowned destinations for international students, the number of Indian students opting for alternative study destinations has been steadily increasing and is expected to grow further. Many students are choosing other countries that offer a comparable quality of education along with several additional benefits. Why Students Are Preferring Countries Beyond US And UK? Low Tuition Fees: Various countries like Germany, Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands offer zero to very low tuition fees. Cost of Living: Various cities in the US and UK are known for a high cost of living such as New York having a high rent of accommodation makes it unfavorable for students to consider living there. Other countries like Germany and Ireland being relatively cheaper than these countries, draws international students. Post-study Work Opportunities: Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have favorable post-study work visa options, making them attractive to students seeking international work experience. Simplified Visa Processes: Students are increasingly drawn to destinations where visa and immigration policies are less restrictive and more transparent. Top Countries Students Are Preferring For Studying Over US and UK Germany: Germany is highly favored by international students for providing tuition-free education in their public universities irrespective of the nationality. Various universities like Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich), Humboldt University of Berlin and University of Bonn, charge zero tuition-fees to international students. Canada: Canada is preferred by many students because of its low tuition fees, cultural diversity and work opportunities. Recently, Canada brough a change in their policy which allows eligible work permit holders to study without a study permit. Australia and New Zealand: Both countries are preferred by international students because they offer globally recognized universities and courses, especially in areas like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and business. Ireland: Ireland offers various post study work options for international students allowing them to be eligible for up to two years of stay back under the Third Level Graduate Scheme. Ireland is also known for its safe environment. Netherlands: Netherlands is a popular destination for international students due to its strong educational system, multicultural environment, and affordable cost of living. Students must carefully examine the countries and make sure to meet their academic and culture values before choosing to study there.
Time Business News
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Study in Germany: A Complete Guide
Germany has emerged as one of the most preferred destinations for international students seeking high-quality education, affordability, and excellent career prospects. With over 400 universities offering globally recognized degrees, Germany provides a perfect environment for academic and professional growth. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything international applicants need to know to study in Germany successfully. Germany is renowned for its world-class education system, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and a strong focus on research and innovation. Here are some of the compelling reasons why international students choose to study in Germany: No Tuition Fees at Public Universities : Most public universities in Germany charge zero tuition fees, making it highly economical. : Most public universities in Germany charge zero tuition fees, making it highly economical. Globally Recognized Degrees : German degrees are respected worldwide and hold significant weight in global job markets. : German degrees are respected worldwide and hold significant weight in global job markets. Excellent Career Opportunities : Germany's strong economy offers numerous job opportunities for international graduates. : Germany's strong economy offers numerous job opportunities for international graduates. Rich Cultural Experience : Studying in Germany is more than academics—students immerse themselves in a culturally rich and diverse environment. : is more than academics—students immerse themselves in a culturally rich and diverse environment. Post-Study Work Rights: Germany allows international graduates to stay up to 18 months after graduation to search for a job. Germany's higher education system is composed of different types of institutions catering to diverse academic and professional needs. These are research-oriented institutions that offer a broad range of programs at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. They are ideal for students aiming to pursue academic or research careers while they study in Germany. These institutions focus on practical and industry-oriented education. Courses often include internships and projects with companies. Specialized institutions that provide education in fine arts, performing arts, and media. Germany hosts several prestigious universities consistently ranked among the top in the world. International students looking to study in Germany can consider: Technical University of Munich (TUM) Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Heidelberg University Humboldt University of Berlin RWTH Aachen University University of Freiburg University of Stuttgart Each of these universities offers a variety of programs in English and German, ensuring accessibility to international applicants. Students who study in Germany often pursue degrees in: Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Automotive) Computer Science and IT Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) Business and Economics Medicine and Health Sciences Architecture and Urban Planning Programs in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are in high demand and offer excellent employment prospects. To study in Germany, international students must meet specific eligibility requirements, including: Academic Qualifications : A recognized school leaving certificate (equivalent to the German Abitur) or a university entrance qualification. : A recognized school leaving certificate (equivalent to the German Abitur) or a university entrance qualification. Language Proficiency : Proof of German (TestDaF, DSH) or English (IELTS, TOEFL) proficiency, depending on the language of instruction. : Proof of German (TestDaF, DSH) or English (IELTS, TOEFL) proficiency, depending on the language of instruction. Entrance Exams : Some courses and universities require passing an aptitude test (e.g., TestAS for undergraduate programs). : Some courses and universities require passing an aptitude test (e.g., TestAS for undergraduate programs). Additional Requirements: A motivation letter, letters of recommendation, and a valid passport. Begin by researching programs that align with your career goals. Use platforms like DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) to explore courses and universities in Germany. Each university and program may have specific requirements. Ensure you understand the academic, language, and document prerequisites. Applications can be submitted either directly through the university or via Uni-Assist, a centralized application portal for international students looking to study in Germany. Upon acceptance, you'll receive a Letter of Admission, which is essential for your visa application. International students from non-EU countries must apply for a German student visa at the nearest German consulate or embassy. To apply for a student visa to study in Germany, you need the following: Valid passport Letter of Admission from a German university Proof of financial resources (blocked account with at least €11,208 for one year) Health insurance Visa application form and fee payment Academic certificates and transcripts Language proficiency proof Processing time may vary, so apply at least 3 months in advance. There are numerous scholarships available to help international students study in Germany, such as: DAAD Scholarships Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship) Erasmus+ Program Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Scholarships These scholarships can cover tuition, living costs, and travel expenses. International students who study in Germany can work 120 full days or 240 half days per year without a work permit. Common student jobs include: Academic assistants Tutoring Retail and hospitality Internships Working part-time helps students gain valuable experience and supplement living costs. Graduates from German universities can apply for an 18-month job-seeking visa to find employment related to their field of study. Once employed, they can apply for an EU Blue Card or residence permit leading to permanent residency. Germany also supports international students who wish to start their own business or pursue research opportunities. Students who study in Germany can choose from several housing options: Student Dormitories (Wohnheime) : Affordable and managed by Student Services (Studierendenwerk) : Affordable and managed by Student Services (Studierendenwerk) Private Shared Flats (WGs) : Popular among students for socializing and cost-sharing : Popular among students for socializing and cost-sharing Private Apartments: More privacy, but generally more expensive Early application for dormitories is advised due to high demand. Health insurance is mandatory for all students in Germany. You can opt for: Public Health Insurance : Recommended for students under 30 (e.g., TK, AOK, Barmer) : Recommended for students under 30 (e.g., TK, AOK, Barmer) Private Health Insurance: Suitable for older students or language course participants Ensure you are covered before visa issuance and university enrollment. To study in Germany is to access world-class education, experience a vibrant culture, and unlock promising career opportunities. With proper planning and preparation, your journey toward earning a German degree can be both successful and rewarding. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'If it was a man, we would say that's a warrior's grave': Weapon-filled burials are shaking up what we know about women's role in Viking society
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In Birka, Sweden, there is a roughly 1,000-year-old Viking burial teeming with lethal weapons — a sword, an ax-head, spears, knives, shields and a quiver of arrows — as well as riding equipment and the skeletons of two warhorses. Nearly 150 years ago, when the grave was unearthed, archaeologists assumed they were looking at the burial of a male warrior. But a 2017 DNA analysis of the burial's skeletal remains revealed the individual was female. Skeptics scrambled to explain away the evidence, said Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, an archaeologist at Uppsala University in Sweden and first author of the 2017 study. Even now, despite further studies strengthening the case for the Birka individual's martial profession, some archaeologists still insist she wasn't a warrior. The Birka controversy highlights the fraught archaeological debate about the existence of Viking women warriors. Viking mythology and lore are filled with tales of women who lived for battle and engaged in violence, but whether these stories reflect real life is unsettled. Across Scandinavia, at least a few dozen women from the Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066) were buried with war-grade weapons. Collectively, these burials paint a picture that clashes violently with the hypermasculine image of the bearded, burly Viking warrior that has dominated the popular imagination for centuries. And it's possible that, due to gendered assumptions, archaeologists may be systematically undercounting the number of Viking women buried with weapons. The finds hint at a nuanced picture of Viking society — one where most warriors were men but a person's class and profession had the biggest impact on who went to war. "Women can be as strong, as skilled, as fast as men," said Leszek Gardeła, an archaeologist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and author of "Women and Weapons in the Viking World: Amazons of the North" (Casemate, 2021). "There is nothing in the biology there that would prevent them from being warriors." Still, the poor preservation of Scandinavian graves, the enigmatic nature of Viking burials and the lack of historical texts leaves the meaning of many female burials up for debate. And even if women warriors existed, their significance in the broader Viking culture is unclear, Ole Kastholm, a prehistoric archaeologist and senior researcher at Roskilde Museum in Denmark, told Live Science. "It's an area where we can't find a secure answer," he said. Related: What's the farthest place the Vikings reached? Across Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, there are thousands of known Viking burials typically thought to be of male warriors. In contrast, we know of around 30 graves in which women were buried with obvious martial equipment such as spearheads and shields; of these roughly 30, only three have swords. Of the known Viking Age burials, "statistically speaking, there would be less than 1%" of women buried with weapons among graves of men buried with weapons, Gardeła told Live Science. But there are many more female burials that included other gear, such as shield bosses (a round protective metal piece at the shield's center), or possible weapons, such as arrowheads and ax-heads. Interpreting the latter burials is especially challenging because axes and arrowheads were used in battle, but they were also tools for hunting and farmwork. But one of the main reasons the female-warrior question is so controversial is that many Viking burials aren't in great condition. The Birka burial is one example. In 1878, workers used dynamite to blast open the grave, damaging it in the process. Untrained locals then helped excavate the grave. This poor excavation work has given naysayers room to argue that the chamber once held a double burial with a man. According to the skeptics, "a woman would never be strong enough to use those weapons" — an argument that was ridiculous to Hedenstierna-Jonson, who had actually handled them. "There were all these opinions rather than scientific facts," Hedenstierna-Jonson told Live Science. Yet modern-era damage isn't the biggest obstacle to analysis. In many cases, bones and cremated remains are partially or completely decayed before archaeologists get a peek, largely due to Scandinavia's acidic soil. "We need very good preservation of the skeletons before we can determine the sex" via DNA analysis or bone studies, Kastholm said. "So even though the Viking Age has been investigated for like 150 years or more, it has not been that easy" to assess these graves. "Occam's razor, you know — the simplest explanation is usually the best. If you find a woman with a sword, then you should interpret it the same as you would a man with a sword." As a result, archaeologists often guessed the deceased's sex based on grave goods, such as mirrors, weaving tools and brooches, which archaeologists assumed were typically buried with females, and battle-related weapons, which archaeologists thought were typically buried with males. If a Viking Age sword was the only item recovered, for example, it was nearly always assumed to be a male grave. So it's possible archaeologists may be systematically undercounting Viking women who were buried with weapons. "We could have a lot more of these [female] graves than we know about," said Marianne Moen, head of the Department of Archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo, calling the situation a catch-22. "You excavate a grave in Norway, you find a sword and you go, 'Oh, it's a man.' And then, 'isn't it funny how all the swords are buried with men?'" In some instances, if a burial had both male- and female-associated artifacts, it is assumed, possibly incorrectly, that it was a double burial with a male and a female. Even with that potential bias, there is strong evidence that some women were buried with war-related objects across Scandinavia. Norway has several of what have been nicknamed "shield-maiden" burials, after the women warriors of Scandinavian folklore. One is the Nordre Kjølen burial in Solør, which had a young adult — likely a female, based on a skeletal analysis — interred with a sword, an ax head, a spearhead, arrowheads, a shield boss, a horse skeleton and tools. A second is the female boat burial from Aunvoll in Nord Trøndelag, in which a female was interred with a sword, eight gaming pieces, a sickle, a spearhead, shears, a knife and tools. The Klinta burial in Öland, Sweden has the cremated remains of what are thought to be an elite woman with valuable metal artifacts, including an ax-head, knives and an iron staff, causing some to wonder if she was a völva, or a Viking Age sorceress. And although they're not buried with sharp weapons, "there's quite a few female burials on the west coast of Norway that have shield bosses and nobody likes to talk about them," Moen told Live Science. Still, many archaeologists struggle to make sense of these graves because the Vikings didn't have a consistent way of dealing with the dead. "When we look at the Viking Age burials as a whole, they are weird and there's a great variation," Kastholm said. For instance, one had only a foot in it. Another was a triple burial of "a woman, then another woman buried some years later and then a half man buried later." These mysterious, inconsistent burials make it hard to make straightforward conclusions. Take the example of a grave discovered in Gerdrup, Denmark, in 1981, Kastholm said. A woman was buried with a spear, with large stones on her body. Her adult son, who had bound ankles and may have been hanged, was also in the grave. The spear could be a sign the woman was a warrior. But that's not how Kastholm interprets the grave. Instead, he thinks that the son was hanged in devotion to Odin, the stones represent the woman's high status, and the valuable "spear was thrust into the bottom of the grave in a concluding ritual that dedicated the dead to Odin," he co-wrote in a 2021 study. This would have been a form of complex "mortuary theater," a play of sorts that would have been enacted at the grave site, which research suggests may have been common. As for the Birka burial, Kastholm doesn't dispute that the deceased was biologically female and that she was buried with many weapons. "I'm totally convinced by that," he said. "If that means she was a warrior, I'm not convinced there. But that would go for male graves as well." To put the burials of women with weapons into context, archaeologists have looked at historical texts. The Vikings left behind only a few thousand runic inscriptions. So most descriptions of warlike women and "shield maidens" come from semihistorical works written during the post-Viking medieval period. For instance, in "Gesta Danorum," a semifictional history of Denmark by Saxo Grammaticus (who lived circa 1150 to 1220), the warrior woman Lagertha travels with a group of women dressed as men, marries a Viking king who later divorces her, and still fights with him in a pivotal battle. And some sagas, such as The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek, describe Norse women taking up arms to help protect family property, according to a 1986 analysis. Only men could inherit property, so if a man had only daughters, one was sometimes compelled to step into the role of a warrior as a "functional son" who could protect the family's interests, according to the study. The Icelandic sagas, written by people who were likely the Viking's descendants in the 13th and 14th centuries, include stories about "women leading troops and engaging in acts of violence," Moen wrote in a 2021 article. But are these stories evidence that Viking women were warriors in real life? Or did some stories have other mythical or mystical significance? Some evidence points toward the latter. Sagas in which women wield weapons like axes often have magical overtones. In the Old Norse Ljósvetninga saga, for instance, a cross-dressing Norse sorceress strikes the water with an ax to see into the future. Axes are frequently associated with magic in folk traditions from Scandinavia, Finland and Central Europe, Gardeła noted in a 2021 article. After the Viking Age, the stereotype of the burly and ruthless male Viking warrior arose in the medieval sagas that detailed their exploits, and again in the late 19th century during Scandinavia and Iceland's National Romantic period. But it's possible that Viking Age society was "less governed by binary gendered ideals and more by fluid social obligations," Moen wrote in the 2021 article. This would mean there wasn't a simple male-female dichotomy in who did what. This is seen in Viking Age grave goods. For instance, at Viking Age cemeteries in Vestfold, Norway, Moen found that although weapons were more common in male graves, they were also found in female burials. Likewise, while jewelry was more pronounced in female graves, 40% of male graves also had them, "hardly a negligible proportion," she wrote in the article. Given how much violence permeated Viking society, "it would be naïve to think that only one half of the population was invested in it," she wrote in the article. But people should not see this as female warriors filling a "man's role," Kastholm said. Rather, "warrior" was probably a profession, like modern-day firefighting, in which most were male but some were female. Even among Viking Age men, being a "warrior" meant different things. Farmworkers, fishers and other peasants may have fought occasionally. But for the most part, the warriors were the social elite. "Your biological sex was a factor [in your profession], but it was not the main factor," Hedenstierna-Jonson said. "The main factor was your role and your position and your family." Still, people should be cautious in using information about these burials to infer how gender was perceived in Viking society, Moen said. "I don't think it even necessarily indicates any kind of gender equality," she said. "What I do think is that you have much evidence women could be warriors and were warriors at certain times and in certain conditions." Moen splits archaeologists into three groups: those who think the burials clearly show that female warriors existed; people who say, "Yes, obviously women could be buried with weapons, but we need to question what it means"; and naysayers who think there's no way women actually used the weapons they were buried with. "They find it really quite troubling, and they go to very long lengths of explaining it away," she said. To Moen, the evidence of female Viking warriors is right in front of us. "Occam's razor, you know — the simplest explanation is usually the best," she said. "If you find a woman with a sword, then you should interpret it the same as you would a man with a sword." RELATED STORIES —Hårby Valkyrie: A 1,200-year-old gold Viking Age woman sporting a sword, shield and ponytail —7 myths about the Vikings that are (almost) totally false —How do archaeologists figure out someone's biological sex from their skeleton? In the end, Kastholm thinks "there will always be a lot of debate. And that debate is more about our time" and our modern-day attachment to gendered stereotypes about the Vikings than it is about the archaeological evidence, he said. "Of course there were warriors in the Viking Age, and I'm pretty sure that some of them were female," Kastholm said. Yes, many graves are tricky to pin down, but at least a few have an impressive number of hard-core weapons buried with them. "If it was a man," he said, "we would say 'that's a warrior grave." Editor's Note: In this article, we are referring to biological sex, as it's impossible to know the gender of these deceased individuals.
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
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.'
