The curse of the pharaohs and the mummies: how Egyptian Gothic arose. Mummy The ancient Egyptian term for mummy

Egypt is a mysterious and beautiful country that attracts and surprises, falls in love and frightens at the same time. Legends are made about her, films are made, songs and poems are written. Mummies remain the most magnificent mystery to this day.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age

Have you already turned 18?

We all know about the curse of Tutankhamun or the mummy of Imhotep (who was a great scientist, architect and doctor) thanks to cult films and media publications. But what is a mummy? What is the difference between mummification and embalming? What frightens and impresses researchers of ancient burials so much? Why were the dead in Egypt subjected to this procedure? We will try to find an answer to all these questions.

A mummy is a human corpse that has been treated with special agents, compounds and oils using ancient techniques and methods to maintain optimal conditions to stop the development of decomposition in the corpse. The word “mummy,” according to scientists, refers to a special resin, a type of bitumen, which, according to most researchers, was used to treat the body of the deceased.

Mummification has a number of differences from embalming. If in the first case the body of the deceased was treated with special drugs and dried, then in the second option the main task was to stop the processes of tissue decomposition and leave the body as close as possible to what the person had during life.

Many specialists from different fields are studying this phenomenon in world culture. This knowledge is of particular value for:

• archaeologists;
• historians;
• doctors;
• anthropologists;
• chemists.

They all explore different aspects of the same phenomenon (living conditions, social and political processes, chemical compositions of substances, DNA analysis of the dead, what processes underlie the cremation of a corpse) trying to clarify the dark sides and fill in the blind spots in the question of how they were cremated and In those days they buried the dead.

How and why they did it in Ancient Egypt

Mummification in Ancient Egypt had a religious aspect, which was based on the belief that the pharaoh was of divine origin and his body must be preserved so that the soul could be reborn after death, find its body and recognize it.

It all started with the legend about the goddess Isis and her lover Osiris, who was killed by Set, and parts of his body were scattered throughout the world. But the god Anubis (according to legend), with the help of Isis, found them, put them together, treated them with oils, wrapped them in long cloth and breathed life into the dead body.

It was the belief in divinity, immortality, high social status and wealth that made it possible for only the wealthy classes in Egypt at that time to mummify their bodies. These included:

• pharaohs and their relatives;
• close associates of the pharaohs (guards, advisers and assistants);
• priests.

As for ordinary people, for a long time there was an opinion that they, in principle, do not have a soul, so they do not need this procedure at all. However, over time, the common population could also mummify their deceased relatives if they had enough money and opportunity to do so.

Researchers of burials and sarcophagi in Ancient Egypt say that in addition to the mummy of the deceased himself, the burials also contain the bodies of girls and wives (who, according to some rituals, could have been buried alive), supplies of food and drink, money, jewelry, and weapons. All this only confirms the religious basis of mummification, because the soul was given what it needed for a comfortable stay in the other world.

In addition, animal mummies are also found in burials. Especially often these are cats, which were especially revered in those days, were considered inviolable and lived in temples and palaces.

Mummification: stages and processes

Mummification as a physical phenomenon is a rather complex and long process, the secrets of which were known only to a certain number of people in Ancient Egypt. To properly mummify a deceased person, knowledge of the structure of the human body, chemistry, physics and climatic conditions of a certain territory was needed, as well as the conditions necessary to bring the corpse into the desired state.

There are two types of mummification:

• natural (when the human body is dried and does not decompose under the influence of certain climatic factors);
• artificial mummification (implies the use of special means to achieve the desired effect).

The first option took place when, after death, a person’s corpse was buried in the sand. It was the sand that absorbed all the moisture from the human body and did not give it the opportunity to decompose. And constant high temperatures and winds dried the remains naturally.

As for the second option, here you need to more thoroughly understand all the processes and nuances in order to understand the meaning of how the whole process occurs. After death, the body of the deceased was taken to a special room, where the entire ritual took place, which lasted 70 days. This figure is associated with the intertwining of religion and astronomy in the consciousness of that time: this is the number of days the star of Osiris is below the horizon and is not visible in the sky.

The most complete and reliable description of the process of cremation of the deceased can be found in the works of Herodotus. He talks about all the steps and methods.

The first thing they did with the body was a special device (most likely it was an ebonite stick - a prototype of a modern scalpel; an incision was made in the groin area in order to remove the insides). They took everything from a person except the heart, because it was in it, according to the beliefs of the Egyptians, that the soul lived. The removed body parts were washed with water and special compounds, oils and incense (most likely this was done in order to remove the unpleasant odor and destroy harmful organisms that could begin the process of decay).

Each organ (lungs, stomach, liver, intestines) was cleansed, treated with certain oils and infusions, and then immersed in jars, where these parts of the body were kept. The lid of each vessel was made in the shape of a specific deity, who was responsible for one or another interior.

As for the brain, it was obtained using a special method. Using a long hook, they penetrated the skull through the nostrils or a special hole in the nose and extracted the contents piece by piece. Another option was to use the same hook to liquefy (loose) the brain, and then turn the body over and pour it out through the nostrils.

When the internal organs were removed, the corpse was coated with salt, oil compounds and soda and left for 40 days to dry. Soda and salt took moisture from the body, oils had a bactericidal effect, and compounds of some spices were used to remove unpleasant odors.

After the allotted period had passed, the remnants of the used products were removed from the body, and it was coated with special compounds based on oils and bitumen resin. To give the dried remains shape and volume, sawdust, sand, and salt were placed in the cavity and the holes were sewn up. To make the mummy resemble a deceased person, they could put on a prepared mask or make up, make an imitation of eyeballs and teeth.

The last step was to wrap the body with bandages or long strips of cloth. They were soaked in resin, which was used instead of glue, incense and oils. So that the human spirit could successfully reincarnate, gold jewelry, coins, and pieces of papyrus were placed between the balls of fabric with a prayer for resurrection. Having completed all these stages, the finished mummy was handed over to relatives, who placed it in a sarcophagus (similar to a modern coffin), made in the form of a person, which was placed in the family tomb.

As you can see, the process of mummification in Ancient Egypt was a very long and complex process that took a lot of time and effort, and required certain knowledge and skills. The most famous mummies that have survived to this day are considered to be the remains of the priest Pa DiIsta, Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Seti I. All of them were carefully studied in order to understand all the nuances of life and the social system.

No matter how many secrets and terrible stories surround the mummies of Ancient Egypt, they will attract the eyes and attention of scientists, travelers and prey hunters.

Mummy, Ancient Egypt - probably everyone has heard about this. So many millennia have passed over the gray massifs of tombs and pyramids, and they still attract and fascinate people from all over the world. Mystery, gloominess, extraordinary flourishing of crafts, developed medicine, exquisite culture and rich mythology - all this makes the ancient country alive and interesting.

Why were the dead mummified?

It must be said that the mummies of Ancient Egypt (photos of many of them make you shudder) are a separate phenomenon that still causes heated debate. Can they be exhibited in museums? After all, after all, these are still the bodies of the dead... Be that as it may, tourists in many countries of the world can go and look at long-dead people, whose earthly shells have been partially saved from the corrupting influence of time. Why were they created? The fact is that the ancients believed in the existence of a person after death directly at the place of his burial. That is why luxurious tombs and pyramids were built for kings, which were filled with everything that could be useful to them after death. And for the same reason, the Egyptians tried to preserve the body of the deceased from destruction. This is why mummification was invented.

The process of creating a mummy

Mummification is the preservation of a corpse using special techniques and preparations while maintaining the integrity of its outer shell. Already during the 2nd and 4th dynasties, bodies began to be wrapped in bandages, preserving them from decomposition. Over time, mummy (Ancient Egypt succeeded in creating them) began to be made much more complex and sophisticated: the entrails were removed from the body, and special plant and mineral preparations were used for preservation. It is believed that during the 18th and 19th dynasties the art of mummification truly flourished. It must be said that a mummy (Ancient Egypt created many of them) could be made in several ways, which differed in complexity and cost.

Historian's testimony

The historian Herodotus says that the embalmers interviewed the relatives of the deceased and offered them a choice of several methods of preserving the body. If an expensive option was chosen, the mummy was made in this way: first, part of the brain was removed (through the nostrils using an iron hook), a special solution was injected, the abdominal organs were cut out, the body was washed with palm oil and rubbed with incense. The stomach was filled with myrrh and other fragrant substances (incense was not used) and stitched up. The body was placed in soda lye for seventy days, then taken out and wrapped in bandages, smeared with gum instead of glue. Everything, the finished mummy (Ancient Egypt shows a lot of them) was given to relatives, placed in a sarcophagus and stored in a tomb.

If relatives could not pay for an expensive preservation method and chose the cheaper one, the craftsmen proceeded as follows: the organs were not cut out, cedar oil was simply injected into the body, decomposing everything inside, and the corpse itself was also placed in lye. After a certain period of time, the body, dried out and devoid of entrails, was returned to relatives. Well, a very cheap method, for the poor, is injecting radish juice into the stomach and after lying in lye (the same 70 days) - returning to your relatives. True, Herodotus did not know or did not describe a couple of important points. Firstly, scientists still don’t really understand how the Egyptians managed to dry the body, doing it extremely skillfully. Secondly, the heart was never removed from the body, and the remaining entrails were placed in special vessels that were stored in the tomb next to the mummy.

The end of mummification

It must be said that mummification was preserved in Egypt for a very long time and was practiced even after the introduction of Christianity. According to the doctrines of Christianity, the body does not need to be preserved after death, but the priests were unable to instill this in their flock. Only Islam, which came later, put an end to the creation of mummies. Now a photo of the mummy of Egypt certainly adorns the catalog of any major museum that has a department of this ancient state.

When it comes to mummies, many people first of all remember ancient Egypt, the pharaohs, whose bodies have survived to this day, and the Hollywood blockbuster “The Mummy.” But in fact, mummies are not only about Ancient Egypt and Hollywood. Our review contains little-known and sometimes simply incredible facts about mummies.

1. What is a mummy

A mummy is a human or animal body that has been preserved from decomposition by removing internal organs, treating it with soda (sodium carbonate decahydrate) and resin, and then wrapping it in bandages.

2. Mum means wax

The word "mummy" comes from the medieval Latin word "mumia", borrowed from the medieval Arabic "mūmiya" and from the Persian "mum" (wax), which meant an embalmed body, as well as a bitumen-based embalming agent.

3. Variety of mummies

Archaeologists have discovered many mummies of animals, including jackals, cats, baboons, horses, birds, gerbils, fish, snakes, crocodiles, hippos and even a lion.

4. Anubis

Some people wonder why so many jackal mummies have been found. The explanation for this is quite simple - the god of mummification was Anubis, the Egyptian god with the head of a jackal.

5. The art of mummification

The ancient Egyptians began making mummies around 3400 BC, but it took them almost eight hundred years to realize that if the internal organs were removed, the mummy would be preserved rather than rotting. Over time, mummification became a very complex and lengthy process that lasted up to seventy days.

6. Herodotus is the first person to describe mummification

The first person to write in great detail about the mummification process was the Greek historian Herodotus. This happened after he visited Egypt around 450 BC.

7. Chinchorro Tribe

Although mummies are almost exclusively associated with Egypt, the South American Chinchorro tribe were the first to make mummies. According to recent archaeological evidence, the oldest Chinchorro mummies date back to the seventh millennium BC, which is twice as old as the first Egyptian mummies.

8. X-ray of a mummy

The first modern scientific examinations of mummies began in 1901, conducted by English professors at the government school of medicine in Cairo. The first x-ray of a mummy was taken in 1903, when professors Grafton Elliott Smith and Howard Carter used the only x-ray machine in Cairo at the time to examine the mummy of Thutmose IV.

9. Classic

Not all mummies were wrapped in the same position. For example, the vast majority of pharaohs were positioned in a prone position with their arms crossed over their chest. This is the situation most often shown in films and popular media.

10. Osiris

According to Egyptian mythology, the god Osiris was the first mummy in history. However, his remains were not found.

11. Afterlife hospitality

It is for this reason that, after the mummy was all wrapped in bandages, it was covered with a special cloth with a painted image of Osiris. This was done so that the Egyptian god of the underworld would be kind and hospitable to the dead.

12. If only I had money

Many people mistakenly believe that only pharaohs were mummified. In reality, those who could afford it were mummified.

13. I’ll take everything I own with me.

The ancient Egyptians believed that items that were buried in a tomb along with a mummy would help the deceased in life after death. Thus, everything valuable to the deceased was buried with them. These included art, artifacts, treasures and jewelry.

14. Protection from thieves

There was also protection against thieves - ancient Egyptian myths warned that the tombs and their contents were under a curse that would strike all who entered them. It has been claimed that a number of archaeologists who discovered some of these burials suffered from total bad luck, and some even died under unusual circumstances.

However, these curses were unable to prevent many graves from being robbed and precious jewelry and other expensive items being stolen to accompany the mummies into the afterlife.

15. Dubious entertainment

Additionally, during the Victorian era, unwrapping mummies became a popular activity at parties. Hosts hosting a dinner party would buy a mummy, and guests could unwrap it during the party.

16. Essential medicinal component

In Victorian times, mummies were considered an essential ingredient in many medicines. Most eminent doctors assured their patients that mummies powder or ground mummies had amazing healing properties.

17. Ramesses III was afraid of reptiles

Ramesses III was afraid of reptiles. It was for this reason that his mummy was found wearing an amulet that was supposed to protect him from snakes in the afterlife.

18. Receptacle of intellect and emotions

The only organ that the ancient Egyptians left inside the mummy was the heart. At that time, the heart was considered the center of intellect and emotions - qualities that were needed by the dead in the afterlife.

19. Profitable business

Mummies were a very profitable business in ancient Egypt. In the process of preparing the mummy, many workers were used: from embalmers and surgeons to priests and scribes.

A mummy is a body preserved by embalming. It is subjected to a special chemical treatment, due to which the process of tissue decomposition slows down or stops altogether. Mummification is possible both natural and artificial.

There have always been many secrets around mummies; they have attracted the interest of both scientists and ordinary people. People were often frightened by the image of dead, but seemingly sleeping people. People are interested in the process of mummification, as they have always wanted to touch the hitherto unknown border between the world of the living and the dead.

But the search and excavation of ancient burials has always remained the lot of desperate daredevils. Nevertheless, today many mummies from all over the world are in museums.

With their help, you can learn a lot about ancient cults without visiting remote and exotic countries, risking your health and life. Legends, however, say that communication with mummies is unsafe, and the disturbed dead can take revenge on living people.

Mummification was especially studied in Ancient Egypt, where almost everyone could afford to preserve their body after death. During the era of the pharaohs, this became a sacred tradition. In total, about 70 million people were allegedly mummified over the past 3 thousand years.

In the 4th century, most of the Egyptians converted to Christianity; according to the new faith, mummification was no longer necessary for life after death. As a result, the ancient tradition was gradually forgotten, and most of the tombs were plundered in ancient times by vandals and thieves looking for treasures.

During the Middle Ages, the destruction of mummies continued - they were even ground into powder, creating “magic” potions. Modern treasure hunters continued the destruction of tombs. Even the relatively recent 19th century contributed to the destruction of mummies - mummies' bandages were used as paper, burning bodies as fuel.

Today, mummification is carried out on a completely scientific basis, an example of this is the mausoleums with the bodies of the leaders of socialist countries. Let's talk below about the ten most famous mummies in human history.

Tutankhamun is the most famous mummy.

Now she is in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. Historians believe that this pharaoh did not stand out in any way among the succession of rulers. Having ascended the throne at the age of 10, Tutankhamun died at the age of 19. According to Egyptologists, the young man died in 1323 BC. by his death. But the most interesting events related to the personality of this pharaoh began three thousand years after his death. In 1922, the Englishmen Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, untouched by robbers. After archaeologists opened the nested wooden and stone coffins, they discovered a golden sarcophagus. Since there was no air in it, even the flowers, not to mention the jewelry, were well preserved inside. The pharaoh's face was covered with a mask made of pure gold. However, this was followed by a series of accidents, which gave rise to talk about the curse of the ancient priests. Just a year later, Carnarvon unexpectedly died of pneumonia (there were rumors about a mysterious mosquito), Carter's assistants died one after another, and suddenly death overtook Archibald Reed, a scientist who wanted to x-ray the mummy. Society was not interested in reasonable arguments, and yet most of the dead scientists were already elderly. Moreover, Carter himself was the last to die, in 1939. The newspapermen simply adjusted the facts to create a mysterious legend.

Networks I.

Among the famous mummies, another Egyptian find stands out - the remains of Seti I. He was one of the greatest pharaoh warriors in history, who also became the father of another legendary ruler - Ramesses II the Great. Seti's reign dates back to the 19th Dynasty. According to surviving records, the pharaoh successfully defended Egypt from the invading army of neighboring Libya. It was thanks to Seti I that Egypt's power extended to the borders of modern Syria. The pharaoh ruled for 11 years, having done a lot for the prosperity of his country. His grave was discovered in 1917 by accident. Heavy rain caused a collapse of the earth and opened the entrance to the tomb, but inside the researchers saw that robbers had already been here a long time ago and there were no mummies inside. The opening of the tomb itself became a resonant phenomenon, just like the opening of Tutankhamun’s grave. But in 1881, Seti’s well-preserved mummy was found in the cache of Deir el-Bahri. Today it is kept in the Cairo Egyptian Museum.

Ramesses II.

Set's son, Ramses II the Great reigned for 67 years from 1279-1212 BC. At the time of his death, the pharaoh was over 90 years old. Ramesses became one of the most famous rulers of Ancient Egypt. His mummy was discovered by G. Maspero and E. Brugsch in the already mentioned cache of Deir el-Bahri in 1881 among other royal bodies. Now it is in the Cairo Museum, providing an excellent opportunity to imagine what the great ruler looked like. Although at that time an ordinary Egyptian did not exceed 160 cm, the height of the pharaoh was about 180 cm. Scientists note that the facial features of the mummy are similar to images of the ruler in his youth. In 1974, museum Egyptologists discovered that the mummy's condition had begun to deteriorate. To conduct a medical examination, it was decided to send the valuable exhibit to Paris; for this, Ramses even received an Egyptian passport. In France, the mummy was processed and diagnosed. She testified that Ramesses had wounds and fractures from battles and also suffered from arthritis. Experts were even able to identify some types of herbs and flowers that were used for embalming, for example, chamomile oil.

Ramesses I.

The grandfather of Ramesses the Great and the founder of the Ramesses dynasty was Ramesses I. Before becoming a ruler, the pharaoh had the following official titles: “Manager of all the horses of Egypt”, “Commandant of the fortresses”, “Royal Scribe”, “Charioteer of His Majesty” and others. Before his reign, Ramesses was known as a military leader and dignitary to Parames, serving his predecessor, Pharaoh Horemheb. It was these two pharaohs who were able to restore the economy and political stability in the country, which had been shaken after Akhenaten’s religious reforms. The tomb of Ramesses I was accidentally found in Deir el-Bahri by Ahmed Abd el-Rasul while he was looking for his lost goat. The man was a well-known member of a family of tomb robbers. Ahmed began selling numerous items from the burial to tourists and collectors. When the tomb was officially discovered in 1881, the mummy of the pharaoh himself was no longer there. 40 other mummies, sarcophagi and numerous exhibits were found in the burial, including the coffin of Ramesses himself. According to studies of diaries, letters and reports of the time, it was discovered that the Canadian doctor James Douglas purchased the mummy for 7 pounds in 1860. He acquired the relic for the owner of a museum in Niagara. It was there that it was kept for the next 130 years, until it was purchased by the Michael Carlos Museum in Atlanta for $2 million. Of course, there is no doubt that this is the mummy of Ramesses, lost in the 19th century. However, the results of a computed tomography scan, x-ray and radiocarbon analysis showed the similarity of the body with other representatives of the dynasty, especially since there was also an external similarity. As a result, the pharaoh's mummy was returned to Egypt with honors in 2003.

Otzi (or Otzi).

Among the sinister mummies, Otzi (or Ötzi) has a special place. In 1991, two German tourists discovered a body frozen in ice in the Alps. At first they took it for modern, but only in the morgue of Innsbruck, Austria, was Otzi's true age discovered. Naturally mummified man was kept in ice for about 5 thousand years and dates back to the Chalcolithic era. Fragments of his clothing are perfectly preserved, although many of them were taken as souvenirs. As a result of numerous publications about the mummy, more than 500 nicknames were given to her, but the one that remained in history was that given to her by the Viennese reporter Wendel in honor of the Ötztal valley. In 1997, the official name was given to the find - Ice Man. Today the find is kept in the Archaeological Museum of South Tyrol in Bolzano. Otzi's height at the time of death was 165 cm, and his weight was 50 kg. The man was about 45 years old, his last diet was deer meat, and he belonged to a small tribe engaged in agriculture. Otzi had 57 tattoos and carried a copper axe, a bow and many objects. Scientists eventually discarded the original version that Otzi simply froze to death in the mountains. Numerous wounds, bruises and fractures, and traces of the blood of other people were found on his body. Criminologists believe that the Ice Man saved his fellow tribesmen and carried them on his shoulders, or was simply buried in the Alps. The name of this mummy also has a curse story associated with it. They say that the Ice Man found caused the death of six people. The first of them was the German tourist Helmut Simon. He received a prize of 100 thousand dollars for his find and, to celebrate, decided to visit this place again. However, there he was overtaken by death in the form of a snowstorm. The funeral had just ended when the rescuer who had now found Simon died of a heart attack. The forensic expert who examined Otzi's body also soon died in a car accident, and this happened while he was traveling on television to give an interview about the find. A professional climber who accompanied the researchers to the discovery site also died when a huge stone fell on his head during a collapse. A couple of years passed and now an Austrian journalist, who was present during the transportation of the mummy and who made a documentary about it, died of a brain tumor. The last of the mummy's victims today is considered to be an Austrian archaeologist who studied the body. But hundreds of people were involved in the study of the mummy, so such a chain could simply be an accident.

Princess of Ukok.

In 1993, a sensational discovery was made in Altai. During excavations of an ancient mound, the well-preserved body of a woman was discovered in the ice, who was named Princess Ukok. She died at the age of 25, and lived in the 5th-3rd centuries BC. In the found chamber, in addition to the mummy, they also found the remains of six horses with saddles and harnesses, which indicated the high status of the buried woman. She was also well-dressed, and had numerous tattoos on her body. Although the scientists were delighted with the discovery, local residents immediately began to say that the disturbed grave and the spirit of the princess would bring misfortune. Some Altaians argue that the mummy, now kept at the Novosibirsk Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, should be buried or returned to its native lands. The consequence of the disturbance of peace of mind was the increased frequency of earthquakes and seismological activity in Altai, and the increased number of causeless suicides. There is an opinion that all these events are the princess’s revenge. They even talk about broken instruments and crashed helicopters on which they planned to transport the mummy, but information about this has not been confirmed. Although popular rumor raised the mummy to the rank of princess - the ancestor of all Altai peoples, scientists have debunked this myth. The woman belonged to a wealthy but middle class. In addition, DNA studies showed that she belonged to the Caucasian race, which caused protest and mistrust on the part of local peoples who belonged to the Mongoloids.

Xin Zhui.

In 1971, the mummy of a wealthy Han Dynasty Chinese woman named Xin Zhui was discovered in the Chinese city of Changsha. She died in 168 BC. at the age of 50 years. The wife of a high-ranking official, a representative of the ancient Thai people, was buried in an unusual way. There were only four sarcophagi, and they were nested one inside the other, delaying the decomposition procedures. The body itself floated in 80 liters of yellowish liquid, the recipe of which remained unclear, since it immediately evaporated. The autopsy yielded amazing results - the body weighed only 35 kg, while the joints retained mobility and the muscles were still elastic. Even the skin retained its color. Many different items were discovered near the deceased, including recipes for her favorite dishes. Also found in the sarcophagus were dozens of books on medicine, which described in great detail operations to enlarge the brain and bypass the heart. The researchers also found another unusual find there. On a square meter piece of silk was a map of three Chinese provinces on a scale of 1:180,000. However, the accuracy of the drawing was amazing! It was absolutely consistent with satellite data. The mystery of the mummy was also given by the fact that one of the scientists who participated in the research died from an unknown disease. Now the mummy is located in the historical museum of Changsha.

Tarim mummies.

Tarim mummies were discovered in the desert areas of the Tarim Basin at the beginning of the 20th century. It is noteworthy that these people were Caucasians, confirming the theory that people of this race were widespread in inner Asia. The most ancient mummies date back to the 17th century BC. These people had long brown or red hair, which they wore in braids. Their fabric is also well preserved - felt raincoats and leggings with a checkered pattern. One of the most famous Tarim mummies is the Loulan Beauty. This young woman was about 180 cm tall and had brown hair. She was found in 1980 in the vicinity of Loulan. The age of the find exceeds 3800 years. Today, the woman’s remains are kept in the Urumqi Museum. It is noteworthy that next to it was found the burial of a 50-year-old man with hair braided in 2 braids and a 3-month-old child with a bottle and cow horns and a pacifier from a sheep's udder. Ancient utensils were also found there - a cap, a sieve, a bag. Craniometric research data suggests that the Tarim mummies have anthropological similarities with Indo-Europeans.

Dashi Dorzho Itigelov.

In 2002, an important event took place - the opening of the sarcophagus with the body of the famous Buryat figure of the early 20th century - Dasha Dorzho Itigelov. The Buddhist ascetic became famous during his lifetime. He was born in 1852, becoming famous both as a monk and as an expert in Tibetan medicine. Information about his relatives has not been preserved, which gives Buddhists the opportunity to cherish the legend of the extraterrestrial origin of the priest. From 1911 until the Revolution, he was the head of Russian Buddhists. In 1927, the lama gathered his disciples and ordered them to visit his body 30 years later, and then, reciting prayers, he went into nirvana. The body of the deceased was placed in a cedar box and, according to his will, was opened in 1955 and 1973 to ensure its incorruption. No post-mortem changes or signs of decomposition were found on the deceased. After 2002, the deceased, without creating any special conditions, was placed in glass in the monastery for everyone to see. Although any biomedical research on the body was prohibited after 2005, analysis of hair and nails showed. That their protein structure corresponds to the state of a living person, but the bromine content exceeds the norm by 40 times. No scientific explanations for the phenomenon were ever found, but thousands of pilgrims flocked to the incorruptible body in Buryatia, the Ivolginsky datsan.

Lenin.

The name Lenin is familiar to everyone in our country. This is a Russian and Soviet political and statesman, founder of the Bolshevik Party, one of the organizers and leaders of the October Revolution of 1917. Vladimir Ilyich was the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, first of Russia, and then of the USSR. In 1924, the leader died, and they decided to preserve his body. For this purpose, Professor Abrikosov was called in, who embalmed the deceased with a special composition. Already on the day of the funeral, a wooden mausoleum was built. Initially, embalming was designed for a short period of time in order to have time for a funeral. Abrikosov himself considered the struggle to preserve the body pointless, since science simply does not know how to do this, especially since cadaveric spots and pigmentation appeared on the body. The debate about mummification methods went on for quite a long time - about 2 months! The low temperature method with the installation of a refrigeration chamber was rejected; on March 26, work began on the body using a quickly developed unique method, similar to Egyptian mummifications. By that time, the body had already acquired dramatic changes. Dark spots were removed with acetic acid, soft tissues were soaked in a solution of formaldehyde and embalming agents. On August 1, 1924, the Mausoleum was opened to the public; almost 120 million people have passed by the sarcophagus throughout its history. The mummy is periodically subjected to biochemical treatment, and experts believe that with proper care, the remains can be preserved indefinitely. There is currently controversy over the very fact of the leader's mummification. His role in history has already been revised, and the fact of preserving the body was not of a personal nature (with the permission and request of relatives), but of a political nature. Calls for Lenin’s burial in the ground are increasingly heard.

Some people live even after death. Swamps, deserts, and permafrost present surprises to scientists and sometimes preserve bodies unchanged for many centuries. We will tell you about the most interesting finds that amaze not only with their appearance and age, but also with their tragic fates.

Loulan beauty 3800 years old

In the vicinity of the Tarim River and the Taklamakan Desert - in places where the Great Silk Road ran - over the past quarter century, archaeologists have found more than 300 mummies of white people. Tarim mummies are tall, have blond or red hair, and blue eyes, which is not typical for the Chinese.

According to different versions of scientists, these could be both Europeans and our ancestors from Southern Siberia - representatives of the Afanasyev and Andronovo cultures. The oldest mummy was perfectly preserved and was named Loulan Beauty: this young woman of model height (180 cm) with neat braids of flaxen hair lay in the sands for 3800 years.

It was found in the vicinity of Loulan in 1980, buried nearby was a 50-year-old man, two meters tall, and a three-month-old child with an ancient “bottle” made of a cow’s horn and a teat made from a sheep’s udder. Tamir mummies well preserved due to the arid desert climate and the presence of salts.

Princess Ukok 2500 years old

In 1993, Novosibirsk archaeologists exploring the Ak-Alakha mound on the Ukok plateau discovered the mummy of a girl about 25 years old. The body lay on its side, legs bent. The deceased's clothes were well preserved: a Chinese silk shirt, a woolen skirt, a fur coat and felt stockings.

The appearance of the mummy testified to the peculiar fashion of those times: a horsehair wig was put on his shaved head, his arms and shoulders were covered with numerous tattoos. In particular, on the left shoulder was depicted a fantastic deer with the beak of a griffin and the horns of a capricorn - a sacred Altai symbol.

All signs pointed to the burial belonging to the Scythian Pazyryk culture, widespread in Altai 2500 years ago. The local population demands to bury the girl, whom the Altaians call Ak-Kadyn (White Lady), and journalists call the Princess of Ukok.

They claim that the mummy guarded the “mouth of the earth” - the entrance to the underground kingdom, which now that it is in the Anokhin National Museum remains open, and it is for this reason that natural disasters have occurred in the Altai Mountains in the last two decades. According to the latest research by Siberian scientists, Princess Ukok died of breast cancer.

Tollund Man over 2300 years old

In 1950, residents of the Danish village of Tollund were extracting peat in a bog and at a depth of 2.5 m they discovered the corpse of a man with signs of violent death. The corpse looked fresh, and the Danes immediately reported it to the police. However, the police had already heard about the swamp people (the bodies of ancient people were repeatedly found on the peat bogs of Northern Europe) and turned to scientists.

Soon the Tollund Man (as he was later called) was taken in a wooden box to the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. The study revealed that this 40-year-old man, 162 cm tall, lived in the 4th century BC. e. and died from strangulation. Not only his head was perfectly preserved, but also his internal organs: liver, lungs, heart and brain.

Now the mummy's head is on display in the Silkeborg city museum with the body of a mannequin (his own has not been preserved): stubble and tiny wrinkles can be seen on the face. This is the best-preserved man from the Iron Age: he looks as if he had not died, but fallen asleep. In total, more than 1,000 ancient people were discovered in the peat bogs of Europe.

Ice maiden 500 years

In 1999, on the border of Argentina and Chile, the body of a teenage girl from the Inca tribe was found in the ice of the Llullaillaco volcano at an altitude of 6706 m - she looked as if she had died a couple of weeks ago. Scientists have determined that this girl, 13–15 years old, who was called the Ice Maiden, was killed with a blunt blow to the head half a millennium ago, as a victim of a religious ritual.

Thanks to the low temperature, her body and hair were perfectly preserved, along with clothes and religious objects - bowls with food, figurines made of gold and silver, and an unusual headdress made of white feathers of an unknown bird were found nearby. The bodies of two more Inca victims were also discovered - a girl and a boy aged 6–7 years.

During the study, scientists found that children were prepared for the cult for a long time, fed with elite products (llama meat and maize), and stuffed with cocaine and alcohol. According to historians, the Incas chose the most beautiful children for rituals. Doctors diagnosed the Ice Maiden with the initial stage of tuberculosis. Mummies of Incan children are on display at the Museum of Highlands Archeology in Salta, Argentina.

Petrified miner about 360 years old

In 1719, Swedish miners discovered the body of their colleague deep in a mine in the city of Falun. The young man looked as if he had died recently, but none of the miners could identify him. A lot of onlookers came to look at the deceased, and in the end the corpse was identified: an elderly woman bitterly recognized him as her fiancé, Mats Israelsson, who had gone missing 42 years ago (!).

In the open air, the corpse became hard as stone - such properties were given to it by the vitriol that soaked the miner's body and clothes. The miners did not know what to do with the find: whether to consider it a mineral and give it to a museum, or bury it as a person. As a result, the Petrified Miner was put on display, but over time began to deteriorate and decompose due to the evaporation of vitriol.

In 1749, Mats Israelsson was buried in the church, but in the 1860s, during renovations, the miner was dug up again and shown to the public for another 70 years. It was only in 1930 that the petrified miner finally found peace in the church cemetery in Falun. The fate of the failed groom and his bride formed the basis of Hoffmann’s story “Falun Mines.”

Conqueror of the Arctic 189 years

In 1845, an expedition led by polar explorer John Franklin set out on two ships to the northern coast of Canada to explore the Northwest Passage, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

All 129 people disappeared without a trace. During search operations in 1850, three graves were discovered on Beechey Island. When they were finally opened and the ice was melted (this happened only in 1981), it turned out that the bodies were perfectly preserved due to permafrost conditions.

A photograph of one of the deceased - British fireman John Torrington, originally from Manchester - spread across all publications in the early 1980s and inspired James Taylor to write the song The Frozen Man. Scientists have determined that the fireman died of pneumonia aggravated by lead poisoning.

Sleeping Beauty 96 years old

Palermo in Sicily is home to one of the most famous mummies exhibitions - the Capuchin Catacombs. Since 1599, the Italian elite have been buried here: clergy, aristocracy, politicians. They rest in the form of skeletons, mummies and embalmed bodies - more than 8,000 dead in total. The last to be buried was the girl Rosalia Lombardo.

She died of pneumonia in 1920, seven days short of her second birthday. The grief-stricken father asked the famous embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve her body from decay. Almost a hundred years later, the girl, like a sleeping beauty, lies with her eyes slightly open in the chapel of St. Rosalia. Scientists recognize that this is one of the best embalming methods.