Archaeological Discovery: 279-Year-Old Austrian Mummy Unveils Remarkable Embalming Technique Previously Unknown
In the laid-back village of St Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria, a shocking find buried deep within a church crypt has scientists scratching their heads. A 279-year-old mummy, preserved astonishingly well, sports a previously unheard-of method of embalming—something entirely off the charts in Europe.
Meet Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, a parish vicar who passed away in 1746, now keeper of this bizarre burial technique. His remains reside in a crypt beneath the church, unscathed by time—skin, organs, and tissues retained to such an extent that researchers couldn't help but investigate the hidden trick behind this impressive preservation.
For eons, experts have studied ancient preservation methods, from Egyptian mummies to South American rituals. Yet, this Austrian case, recently published in Frontiers in Medicine, could rewrite the science of human preservation.
Leading the charge is Dr Andreas Nerlich, a pathologist at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich and the study's author. He shared the team's findings:
"Our exploration revealed an extraordinary type of embalming process, achieved by jamming the belly with wood chips, twigs, and fabrics, and the addition of zinc chloride for internal drying."
Contrasting usual embalming methods that involve incisions to remove organs, this technique used natural absorbent materials like fir and spruce wood chips, pieces of branches, and layers of linen, hemp, and flax inserted rectally to dry the internal cavity without making any cuts. CT scans corroborated a preserved upper body while the lower limbs and head displayed signs of post-mortem decay, strengthening the evidence for this localized drying effect.
quite intriguingly, researchers stumbled upon a small glass sphere with holes on both ends—a monastic artifact—inside the corpse. Its purpose remains unclear, adding to the macabre allure of the burial rites.
The identity of the mummy was long suspected to belong to Sidler von Rosenegg, but the investigation marked the confirmation. Biological tests pegged the individual's death between 1734 and 1780, with an estimated age at death between 35 and 45. The skeletal remains displayed no hints of hard labor—consistent with a priest's sedentary life—yet showed the telltale signs of a heavy smoking habit and lung tuberculosis.
Dr Nerlich speculates that this unconventional preservation method might've been more prevalent than thought but remained unnoticed due to post-mortem decay in other mummies that obscured the evidence.
This case serves up a fresh perspective on burial customs in 18th-century Europe and raises broader questions about how local materials and beliefs determined preservation practices outside the well-studied Egyptian and Peruvian contexts. As scientists continue to delve into such rare finds, the mystery of ancient preservation methods only grows deeper—reminding us that even centuries later, the dead still hold secrets waiting to be revealed.
- The preservation technique used on the 279-year-old mummy found in St Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria, is incredibly unique and could potentially revolutionize the understanding of health-and-wellness practices and medical-conditions in the field of science.
- Interestingly, the mummy confirmed to be Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, the parish vicar who passed away in 1746, employed a distinct method of embalming that involved the use of natural materials like wood chips, twigs, fabrics, and internal drying agents such as zinc chloride for preservation precision.
- Contrastingly, conventional embalming methods involve incisions to remove organs, whereas this method used absorbent materials like wood chips, pieces of branches, and linens to dry the internal cavity without making cuts.
- Intriguingly, during the examination, researchers discovered a small glass sphere with holes on both ends—a monastic artifact—inside the corpse, the purpose of which remains unclear, adding to the mystery and macabre allure of the burial rites.
