Latest news with #mummy
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Rare face tattoos on 800-year-old mystery mummy baffle archaeologists
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An 800-year-old mummy donated to a museum in Italy a century ago has revealed new clues about ancient face tattoos. But the mummy's origin remains shrouded in mystery. Some time prior to 1930, the mummy of an adult female was donated to the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAET) at the University of Turin, with no records of its archaeological context. The mummy recently caught the attention of a team of researchers due to the surprising presence of tattoos on her face. In a study published in the May-June issue of the Journal of Cultural Heritage, the international team of researchers detailed their analysis of the mummy and her tattoos, noting that they were extremely unusual both in their location and in the composition of the ink used to make them. The mummy has straight black hair cropped short and is tightly flexed into a seated position, typical of mummy burials in the Andes. Researchers carbon-dated textile fragments stuck to the body and determined the woman died between A.D. 1215 and 1382. "On the basis of current evidence — particularly preservation, body placement, associated materials and documents — a South American origin is strongly supported," study lead author Gianluigi Mangiapane, an anthropologist at the University of Turin, told Live Science in an email. Related: Lasers reveal hidden patterns in tattoos of 1,200-year-old Peru mummies But while looking closely at the mummy using infrared reflectography, a technique often used to "see through" paint layers of artwork to find older brush strokes, the research team noted a series of unusual tattoos: three lines on the mummy's right cheek, one line on the left cheek and an S-shape on the right wrist. "Skin marks on the face are rare among the groups of the ancient Andean region and even rarer on the cheeks," the researchers wrote in the study, and the S-shaped tattoo "is so far unique for the Andean region." To identify the ink used to make the tattoos, the researchers used a suite of non-destructive techniques. Although they expected to find evidence of charcoal in the ink, they instead discovered that the unusual ink was made with magnetite, an iron oxide mineral, with traces of the mineral augite. In South America, augite and magnetite can be found together in southern Peru, suggesting a potential homeland for the mummified woman. "There are a small number of ethnographic accounts from the Americas that describe the use of mineral or earth pigments such as hematite or magnetite for tattooing, and the new study fits quite nicely with those," Aaron Deter-Wolf, an archaeologist at the Tennessee Division of Archaeology who was not involved in the study, told Live Science by email. But Deter-Wolf, who is an expert in ancient tattooing, is not convinced that the mystery mummy hails from the Andes. RELATED STORIES —People 'finger painted' the skulls of their ancestors red in the Andes a millennium ago —1,000-year-old mummy in fetal position found in underground tomb in Peru —'Pregnant' ancient Egyptian mummy with 'cancer' actually wasn't pregnant and didn't have cancer, new study finds "Stylistically, these particular face markings have far more in common with historic Arctic or Amazonian traditions than with Andean practices," Deter-Wolf said. "It would be fascinating to see what oxygen isotopes or other studies might be able to tell us about the origins of this individual." At this stage, though, isotope analyses have not been carried out. "Since these types of analyses are invasive, we have currently decided to limit such procedures in order to preserve the integrity of the remains," Mangiapane said. But the MAET that houses the mummy is interested in further investigation, Mangiapane said, and this may include future cultural comparisons to better understand the nature of the mysterious mummy's facial tattoos.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Mysterious mummy with face tattoos STILL visible after 800yrs found & scientists are baffled by the ink that was used
LONG lost tattoos have been discovered on the face of an 800-year-old South American woman whose remains were donated to an Italian museum nearly a century ago. While humans have been inking ourselves for millennia, according to researchers, the tattoos on this mysterious mummy are unique in several ways. 3 3 A team of anthropologists and archeologists, led by Gianluigi Mangiapane from the University of Turin in Italy, found unique tattoo designs on the mummy, which had been unusually well preserved. The mummification process has darkened her skin, making the tattoos harder to see. But with an array of imaging techniques, researchers have been able to get a better picture of the unique designs. A minimalist but uncommon three-line design has been found on her cheeks - with the design on the right cheek being better preserved than the one on the right. Cheek tattoos are rarely discovered - or are easily missed - "due to difficulties in finding preserved skin," according to researchers. "The three detected lines of tattooing are relatively unique: in general, skin marks on the face are rare among the groups of the ancient Andean region and even rarer on the cheeks," they wrote in their study, published in Journal of Cultural Heritage. An S-shaped tattoo has also been found on one of her wrists - a common placement for tattoos among South American cultures the time. The ink that was used is also pretty unique - consisting of magnetite, a black, metallic, and magnetic iron ore, instead of the usual charcoal. The mummy may therefore present "possibly [the] first evidence" of magnetite used for tattooing in the past in South America. The body was found in a sitting position with no accompanying funerary wrappings, ornaments, or grave goods. Shock footage reveals moment a medieval mummy is seized in house raid But her black hair was well preserved by natural dehydration, while a few pieces of fabric were stuck to the surface of the body. Researchers believe the textiles could be from long lost animal fibres wrappings or bundles. It's unclear where the mummy came from, due to relatively shoddy museum records in the past century. Her remains were donated to the Italian Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in 1931, with nearly no context besides the donors name. Filed only under 'South American artifacts', the age of the remains, and where they came from, have remained a mystery until now. Researchers were able to date the remains to from 1215 CE to 1382 CE. And there are also some hints as to her origins. The way her body was seated in an upright position suggests a preservation technique known as 'fardo'. The body would have been wrapped tightly in this position with many layers of fabric and then tied in a bundle - a common funerary practice in Paracas culture, of the Andean region on the south coast of Peru.
Fox News
18-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Researchers uncover the odd reason an 'unusual' mummy survived the centuries
WARNING: This article contains graphic images. Reader discretion is advised. Researchers have uncovered the reason an "unusual" 18th-century mummy was preserved so well in Austria – and it's highly abnormal. A study about the mummy was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine. The so-called "air-dried chaplain" is housed in the crypt of the church of St. Thomas am Blasenstein in Upper Austria. Historians believe the mummy's identity was most likely Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, a vicar who had been temporarily delegated to the St. Thomas parish at the time of his death. He was between 35 and 45 years old when he died and passed away between 1730 and 1780, according to carbon dating. Experts were able to glean details about his life, including his diet, from the study. "He had a high-quality diet based on terrestrial animal products [and] showed no signs of major physical work load," the study noted. Despite his relatively healthy lifestyle, researchers believe that he died from an acute pulmonary hemorrhage after suffering from tuberculosis. "[He] was most likely a pipe smoker and suffered from chronic active pulmonary tuberculosis with peripheral and central (hilar) calcifications (primary tuberculous complex) and a right lower lobe cavity with focal heterotopic ossification and potential active inflammation," the study detailed. But experts were stunned when they came across the mummy's midsection and found it full of curious material – including wood chips, twigs and fabric. "Most surprisingly, we detected, in the otherwise completely intact abdominal (and pelvic) cavity, extensive packing with foreign material, which was identified as a mixture of wood chips, fragmented twigs, large amounts of fabric of various types, including elaborate embroidered linen, and even pieces of silk," the article said. Researchers also came across a solution made of zinc, chloride and copper that appeared to aid in the cadaver's preservation. The solution had been inserted into the mummy's abdominal cavity. "This embalming method seems to have included high-level zinc-ion solution impregnation (most likely zinc-chloride with small amounts of arsenic) and the addition of copper," the study said. "This is the first verified case of such a treatment." Researchers added, "It led to an excellent state of conservation of the [body], while the face (and skull) and peripheral extremities were less well-preserved." Professor Andreas Nerlich discussed the findings in an email with Fox News Digital, noting the embalming technique was previously unknown. "The most significant factors for the embalming of this mummy were the internal stuffing [of] fabric and wood chips and the zinc-chloride solution," the expert said. Though the mummy was found to have had a healthy diet, Nerlich said that factor "obviously had no influence." The professor added, "We have no idea whether this [embalming] technique has been applied more often, but this is the first verified case of such a treatment. We have no data on its use in other cases." The mummy is one of several well-preserved remains that have been studied and publicly reported in recent months. Last year, archaeologists unsealed a 2,000-year-old tomb in Italy and found a mummy to be in "excellent state." In March, a female 130,000-year-old baby mammoth was dissected in Russia.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Meet the Capacabra! Secrets of 'weird' mummified creature with human-like hands probed by scientists
A mysterious creature with human-like hands found mummified in a historic building is being probed by scientists – and nobody's quite sure what it is. The mummy, dubbed the Capacabra, was found at Michigan State University in the US city of East Lansing, during renovations of Cook-Seevers Hall. And though it's since become a mascot for the university's Campus Archaeology Program (CAP), the creature's true identity remains unknown. Now PHD student Jerielle Cartales, who earned her master's degree at Scotland's University of Dundee, is working to solve the mystery. She said: 'It is roughly the size of a small cat, and it's got a very long, skinny tail, which goes hand in hand with cat-like features. 'But it has very, like, almost human hands. There's five fingers, and nails, and everything – it looks almost humanoid. 'It is covered with a very thin layer of tissue, but it is all super thin – it feels like old parchment paper. 'It has its nose and its ears still, but they're very dried out. 'It's very dusty, dry, and weird.' The creature has been compared with the mythical chupacabra – a bloodsucking cryptid from American folklore. Hence the 'capacabra' nickname, with its nod to the CAP initials. And just like its notorious namesake, the animal is shrouded in mystery. Even its age is unknown at this point, though it can't predate 1889 – when the building was constructed. 'The creature is very mummified', said Ms Cartales, who studies forensic anthropology. 'So the interesting thing is that it could have been there for a month, it could have been there for 50 years, we don't really know. 'Theoretically, I guess we could try radiocarbon dating it, but the building itself isn't old enough for it to be worth it.' The creature has been compared with the mythical chupacabra – a bloodsucking cryptid from American folklore. It has also become the unofficial mascot for the university's Campus Archaeology Program (CAP), earning it the nickname 'the capacabra' Theories about the animal's true identity have varied. After the remains were discovered in 2018, one expert tentatively suggested it could be an opossum. 'I didn't think so,'Ms Cartales said. 'And so we were throwing out a bunch of ideas about what it could be. 'We were throwing out like 'maybe it's a dog, maybe it's a cat,' but raccoon didn't even make the list. 'And now, that's my very strong hunch.' The mummy has now been X-rayed and its skeleton compared with other known species. Using a textbook, leading candidates like dog, cat, and rat were quickly ruled out. Raccoon was a good match, but without a dental comparison it's hard to be sure. Ms Cartales said: 'A raccoon has the same general cranium shape, and the same with the snout shape. 'But the osteology text doesn't have any good images of dentition for the raccoon because their example was edentulous [lacking teeth]. 'So I'm trying to find an example of a raccoon I can use for dentition [identification of an animal by its teeth]. 'That's the next step.' Shethinks the creature may have entered the building through an air duct, got trapped, and become mummified over time. She said: 'Mummification happens in very dry environments. 'If it was found next to an air duct, which seems to me like the most accessible point for an animal to get in from the outside, then that would be a pretty regular supply of warm, dry air, especially in the colder months. 'So, to me, that's the most likely explanation. 'And then during the summer, it gets very hot here, and it's humid. 'But if you're protected by a building, and especially in some sort of duct system, then it really would just be dry, hot conditions, which is pretty perfect for mummification.' For now, Ms Cartales thinks a raccoon is a best candidate. She added: 'I'm a scientist, I'm never going to say 100 per cent on anything. 'I would say at this point, I'm about 75 per cent sure that it's a raccoon, but I need to finish the rest of my analysis.' HOW DO BODIES BECOME NATURALLY MUMMIFIED? Natural mummification is defined as the process by which the skin and organs of a deceased person or animal are preserved, without the introduction of chemicals by humans. It is rare, and only happens in specific situations. These include: extreme cold, arid conditions, or a lack of oxygen. Naturally preserved mummies have been found deposited in deserts, buried in oxygen-poor peat bogs, and frozen in glaciers. Some ancient societies accidentally encouraged this process, as they would paint the bodies and cover the deceased person's face in a mask. This provided an impervious layer which allowed the process to take place. Throughout the UK, bogs provide the perfect environment for this to happen. Tollund Man, discovered in Denmark in 1950, is one of the best studied examples of a 'bog body'. The man, who lived in the fourth century BC, was so well-preserved that he was initially mistaken for a recent murder victim.
