Mummies are often associated with ancient Egyptians even though they were not the only culture that mummified dead humans and animals. The Chinese did, too. The Egyptians were probably not the first, either. The Chinchorro people of Chile have been mummifying their dead since 5000 BC. The first Egyptian mummy was created 2,000 years later.

Mummies could also be created naturally. The Incas did this when they mummified their dead by exposing them to the cold temperatures and dry climate. However, the most fascinating natural mummies were created after a human or animal died in some random place.

A lucky combination of a perfect location, weather, and temperature as well as the absence of scavengers turned them into mummies. We have found some, and they are just amazing.

10 Stuckie The Dog

Stuckie is the mummified remains of a hunting dog that was trapped in a chestnut oak tree for almost 60 years. The dog was probably chasing a raccoon when it entered the tree through a hole around 1960.

Unfortunately, the dog was too big to pass through the hollowed-out tree and got stuck. Eventually, it died of starvation. However, its body mummified instead of decaying. It remained untouched for about 60 years until it was discovered after some loggers cut the tree.

Scientists later discovered that the moisture-absorbing tannin in the tree prevented Stuckie from decaying. The fact that the animal was stuck inside the tree also protected its body from scavengers. Stuckie is currently displayed at the Southern Forest World Museum in Waycross, Georgia. The dog’s remains are still inside the tree.^[1]

9 Two Extinct Cave Lions

In 2015, contractors searching for mammoth fossils around the Uyandina River in Siberia found the mummified remains of two cave lion cubs. These animals are the same size as the Siberian tiger—the world’s largest cat species. Cave lions roamed through Africa, Europe, and North America until they went extinct 12,000 years ago.

Over 12,000 years ago, these cave lion cubs were 2–3 weeks old when the soil around their den collapsed and buried them inside. Cave lions are born blind, and researchers believe that the mummified cubs had never opened their eyes at the time of death.

The ice of Siberia mummified their remains, leaving them well-preserved. Even their eyes were intact, making them the most complete cave lion fossils we have ever found. Before their discovery, fossil bones were all we had to prove that cave lions had ever existed. The fossils were named Uyan and Dina after the Uyandina River where they were found.^[2]

8 Lions From Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pharaohs, pyramids, and mummies. We all know they mummified lots of humans and cats. However, a lot of people do not know that they also mummified several other animals, including baboons, crocodiles, dogs, birds, and lions.

Mummified lions are the most surprising. We already know that lions were revered in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptian god Nefertum is depicted as a lion. The goddess Sekhmet also has a lion head. Ancient Egyptian writings indicate that this civilization kept lions and could have mummified the animals after their deaths.

A group of archaeologists led by Alain Zivie revealed that tales of the mummified lions were true after the scientists found the first mummified remains of a lion among those of several cats at Saqqara cemetery in Egypt. Analysis revealed that the lion was a pet that had lived and died in captivity.^[3]

7 Fake And Partial Animal Mummies

A few years ago, researchers from the University of Manchester and Manchester Museum scanned 800 animal mummies from ancient Egypt. To their surprise, they discovered that a third of the mummies had no animal remains in them. Another third had partial animal remains, and the last third contained full animals.

This probably occurred because animals were often mummified to be offered as sacrifices to Egyptian deities. In comparison, human mummies were created to preserve the bodies for their spiritual journeys into the afterlife.

Researchers believe that ancient Egyptians specifically bred animals to turn into mummies. They were often unable to keep up during periods of high demand, causing them to sometimes cut corners. And how best to cut corners if not by excluding the animal from the mummy?

While some researchers believe that sellers passed the fake mummies off as the real thing, others believe that vendors replaced the animals with items used by the animals, which was supposedly ethical. Examples include putting a nest or eggshell in place of a bird. However, no one knows for sure.^[4]

6 An Ancient Baby Horse

Until a few years ago, Batagaika crater in eastern Siberia harbored the mummified remains of a young Lena horse (Equus caballus lenensis). The now-extinct Lena horse lived in eastern Siberia 30,000–40,000 years ago. This foal is believed to have lived around the same time.^[5]

Researchers believe that the foal died by drowning after a fall into a natural trap. The animal was just two months old at the time of death. Fortunately for us, its remains were perfectly mummified in the icy permafrost of Siberia. The foal was found with its skin, tail, hooves, and nose hairs intact.

5 Mummies Of Eagles, Doves, Swallows, Bats, And More

Lake Natron is one of the weirdest lakes you will ever read about. Located in Tanzania, the lake has a higher-than-normal alkaline level, making it highly caustic and deadly. Animals that fall into it die and become calcified. Only some flamingos, the Alcolapia latilabris (a species of small fish), and algae can survive the lake’s harsh properties.

Mummified remains of eagles, doves, swallows, songbirds, and even bats have been recovered from the lake. Flying animals are often victims because the lake reflects like a mirror when viewed from above. Many unfortunate birds and even a helicopter pilot unwittingly ended up in the lake after mistaking it for empty space.

Lake Natron is named after natron, a chemical formed from a mixture of sodium carbonate and baking soda. This is the same reason that the water has a high alkaline content and turns birds into mummies. Natron itself has been used by humans for millennia. Ancient Egyptians used it as far back as the 4th millennium BC to make glass and preserve their mummies.^[6]

4 Yukagir Bison

In 2011, some tribesmen in Siberia found the mummified remains of a bison along a lake. Researchers determined that it belonged to the now-extinct steppe bison (Bison priscus), an ancestor of the modern American and European bison. However, researchers named the fossil after the Yukagir tribe that found it.

The Yukagir bison was found in almost perfect condition, which is really incredible considering that it died about 9,000 years ago. In fact, it is the most perfect steppe bison fossil ever found. It had its fur and most of its internal organs intact—including the heart, lungs, stomach, blood vessels, and brain—even though they had shrunk in size.

Researchers later removed several of these body parts for analysis. They determined that the bison was around four years old at the time of death. It probably died of starvation because there were no layers of fat in its abdomen.^[7]

3 Yuka The Mammoth

The fossil of Yuka the mammoth takes the top spot among the mammoth fossils we have discovered. This is because Yuka’s internal organs are well-preserved even though she has been dead for 39,000 years. Her brain, tissues, and muscles are all intact. In fact, scientists are trying to use her tissues and DNA to clone the woolly mammoth.

The intact brain is the most fascinating. Researchers have never found a mammoth brain even though they have discovered lots of mammoth fossils. Interestingly, researchers never expected to find a brain. They saw it by chance during a MRI scan to detect Yuka’s age.

Yuka was found in Russia’s Arctic Circle in 2010. She weighs over 100 kilograms (220 lb), causing researchers to speculate that she was 6–11 years old at the time of death. The analysis of injuries, including bite and scar marks, on her body reveal that she was attacked by a cave lion trying to feed on her.

Some humans watched the hunt. The cave lion scored the kill, and the humans probably attempted to steal it. However, it is obvious that none of the parties succeeded.^[8]

2 Ice Age Wolf Pup

In 2016, some Canadian miners found the 50,000-year-old mummified remains of the only ice age wolf we have ever found. The pup was discovered as the permafrost melted around the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada. Interestingly, the pup was perfectly preserved with its head, tail, skin, hair, and other body parts intact.

A nearby caribou calf was not perfectly preserved and was missing several vital body parts from the stomach down. Only the head, torso, and two front legs were intact. Scientists determined that the pup and caribou calf died around the same time. Scientists hope to extract the pup’s DNA to provide insight into the ice age wolf population.^[9]

1 A 12,400-Year-Old Puppy

In 2016, researchers recently got their hands on the 12,400-year-old mummified remains of a puppy from the Pleistocene epoch. The fossil was found frozen in the permafrost at the bank of the River Syalakh in Siberia. Researchers believe that the puppy died in a landslide after which its body mummified in the ice.

Curiously, the mummified fossil of the puppy was well-preserved. Its entire body, from its nose to its tail, was intact. Even its hair was unscathed. The brain had partly decomposed, though. However, 70–80 percent of it was intact, which is impressive considering how long the puppy has been dead.

To put that into perspective, the partly decomposed brain of the 12,400-year-old puppy is the only brain we have from an animal from the Pleistocene epoch even though the puppy is not the only animal or dog we have from that time period.

Earlier in 2011, researchers had found the fossil of another dog around the area. Unfortunately, that animal was too decomposed to be useful. Scientists believe that both dogs are related. Researchers also uncovered human tools around the site.^[10]

They believe that the tools belonged to the humans who owned the animals. This indicates that they were domestic animals. This is why scientists concluded that they were dogs and not wolves. Nevertheless, researchers believe that the valuable DNA and tissue extracted from the 12,400-year-old puppy could be used to bring it back to life.

Plenty of petrified people are unearthed every year. Despite this overpopulation, the fascination with the dried-out dead remains. It is not hard to see why. Mummies offer unexpected markings and ailments. They also appear to move and cluster together in bizarre imitations of a living society.

Sometimes, all that remains are mummified pieces. Even these lonesome fragments can reveal bizarre traditions about love, death, and living cocktail drinkers who must kiss amputated toes.

10 The Hun Warrior

In 1993, a girl found a grave. Alena Kypchakova, then 12, found a collapsed grotto near the rural Kam-Tytugem settlement in Siberia. Inside were the remains of a Hun warrior and his weapons.

Around 1,700 years ago, the man was wrapped in fur and placed on a wooden bed. Next to him was a bow that originally was nearly as tall as a modern man. Pieces of birch arrows revealed that the shafts were marked either white or black, possibly for quick selection during a hunt. They originally came with iron tips and bull horn pieces.

According to ancient Chinese literature, the horn carvings produced a whistle when the arrow shot through the air. This was meant to scare the enemy and distract deer from fleeing. Try as they might, researchers failed to reproduce the effect.^[1]

The mummified archer is kept at a relatively unknown museum because locals refused all attempts by bigger institutions to acquire him for their collections. Located in Kokorya, the museum is now managed by Alena Kypchakova, who found the body as a child.

9 Pygmy Woolly Mammoth

The “island effect” is when a large species turns smaller to adapt to an island environment. The woolly mammoth was one of them. However, rumors circulated about the existence of mammoths that were naturally tiny and not because of island evolution. In particular, people reported finding the bones of these animals, adults and infants, on Kotelny Island in Siberia.

In 2018, scientists headed over to the island and found the first official remains. The unique carcass had yellow fur which soon earned it the name “golden mammoth.” There was a big problem, though. The body was in an inaccessible area. Not much can be proven until its recovery.

The surrounding permafrost did give it a date—between 22,000 and 50,000 years ago. It appears to be an adult about 2 meters (6.6 ft) tall. Normal-sized mammoths measured around 5 meters (16.4 ft) tall. The age of the animal provided the first real hope of a dwarf mammoth species. During that time, Kotelny Island was attached to the mainland, which removed the “island effect” as an explanation for the small adult.^[2]

8 Greenland Surprise

Finding heart disease, atherosclerosis in particular, in mummies is nothing new. However, when researchers wheeled five bodies from Greenland into the scan room, they expected healthy tickers. The mummies belonged to 16th-century Inuits, four adults and a child.

Atherosclerosis narrows the arteries in older people, and these were young adults (plus junior). The condition is also associated with high-cholesterol foods such as pork, beef, and dairy. The Inuit group would have dined on marine mammals and fish. The latter is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, a heart health tonic.

The 2019 study was done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. During the CT scans, atherosclerosis showed up in three of the adults. Considering their ages and diet, this was surprising. However, there was no mistake. The mummies were exceptionally well-preserved. Even their blood vessels were intact. When the disease showed up in their arteries, the results were fairly conclusive.

These are the first cases of atherosclerosis from Greenland mummies, although their condition remains mysterious. A likely cause could be that they inhaled too much smoke from indoor hearths.^[3]

7 Unique Thigh Tattoo

In recent years, the British Museum obtained the body of a woman. Her mummified remains were found in 2014 in northern Sudan on the banks of the Nile River. When researchers examined the body, they found a tattoo on her inner thigh.

To make the faded design clearer, they zapped it with infrared imaging. They found something recognizable but unique. The tattoo’s unusual look was due to stacked ancient Greek letters. It read “Mixaha,” the name of the archangel Michael.

The monogram was familiar. Archaeologists had found it before on church artifacts and mosaics. However, this was the first time it showed up on a human body. The religious-flavored tattoo might have been a protection charm, or perhaps she wanted it because her faith was important to her.

The ink was around 1,300 years old, which also made it the first body art found from this time period. Although not the oldest tattoo in history, the Sudanese woman’s symbol remains a rare find.^[4]

6 Earliest European Autopsy

In 2013, researchers examined a gruesome relic. The partial mummy consisted of shoulders, a neck, and a head. The man’s death expression was disturbing, almost like a permanent scream.

Scientists thought it was preserved during the 1400s or 1500s, but analysis placed it between AD 1200 and AD 1280. This made it Europe’s oldest preserved human autopsy. It also placed the body right in the middle of what many considered Europe’s most backward time for science.

However, the mummy was prepared by experienced hands and surprisingly advanced techniques. The ancient doctor mixed lime, beeswax, and red cinnabar mercury. The potion was injected into the veins to preserve the body and add a touch of color to the circulatory system. The back of the skull and brain were also skillfully removed.^[5]

This went against the prevailing view that human dissection in the Middle Ages was a “cut up and throw away” affair. This man was possibly even preserved for future use in medical education.

5 Embalmed Human Hearts

France is known for romance, but things went a little too far during the 16th and 17th centuries. During this time, it was considered romantic to be buried with the heart of one’s husband or wife.

In 2015, a group of mummified hearts was found under a convent. The Convent of the Jacobins in Rennes was also home to a large cemetery dating back to said centuries. One lead coffin contained a woman from the elite class, which adhered to this macabre tradition.

Lady Louise de Quengo died in 1656. While her remarkable state of preservation was noteworthy, the best find inside the coffin was a lead urn. Shaped like a valentine’s heart, it contained the real heart of her husband.

Soon, a look through more elite vaults produced four similar urns. The hearts were cleaned and scanned. The images gave researchers a good view of the 400-year-old heart valves, chambers, and arteries. Apart from a healthy organ and another that was too damaged for information, the remaining three showed signs of atherosclerosis.^[6]

4 The Mummified Hand

In Hungary, the village Nyarlorinc has an ancient graveyard. Around 540 people were buried there between the 12th and 16th centuries. When researchers paged through old photos of excavations, they found the mummified hand of a baby.

Curious as to why only one limb mummified, the remains were analyzed. The infant’s copper levels were astronomical. After digging through the cemetery’s artifacts, both the source of the copper and preservation was identified as a coin that fit inside the baby’s hand.

This revealed an unknown way of mummification, but the coin also reflected a known tradition. When a child died before it was baptized, the youngster was buried in a jar with a coin to pay St. John the Baptist to perform the ceremony. That way, the baby could go to Heaven.

The Nyarlorinc child was indeed buried in a jar. Oddly, this tradition was never recorded in Hungary before. A deeper mystery was the coin’s date—between 1858 and 1862. It meant that the baby was buried at Nyarlorinc 150 years after the cemetery was abandoned.^[7]

3 Human Toe Cocktail

Bars are known for alcoholic creativity. However, one cocktail is hard to beat. To order the sourtoe cocktail, one must travel to Yukon territory in Canada. The next step is to find the Sourdough Saloon in Dawson City.

Ask for this particular drink, and the bartender fills a tumbler with spirit (often whiskey). The final ingredient—a mummified human toe—is then plonked inside.

The drink comes with one rule. Your lips must touch the toe. When that happens, the saloon hands over a certificate. So far, over 100,000 people have earned their certificates.

The drink’s history is just as weird. It was born in 1973 after an entrepreneur found the frostbitten toe of a rum smuggler. The digit had been kept in the smuggler’s shack since the 1920s and was around 50 years old upon discovery.

The entrepreneur started the drink as a way in which people could prove themselves as worthy Yukoners. The original toe was swallowed in 1980, but several frostbitten toes have taken its place since.^[8]

2 Double Mystery Solved

Rosalia Lombardo is among the most famous mummies in the world. When pneumonia killed the two-year-old in 1920, her father commissioned Alfredo Salafia to embalm her. This procedure went so well that Rosalia still appears to be napping.

Along with thousands of others, her body was interred in the Capuchin Catacombs under Sicily’s Capuchin Convent. The rest of the corpses were prepared by monks and dried out naturally. Rosalia’s perfect looks came from a long-lost embalming recipe that nobody could crack. For decades, the pretty girl also creeped people out because she appeared to open and close her eyes.^[9]

In 2009, anthropologists tackled both mysteries. One of Salafia’s handwritten manuscripts was found, and it revealed the ingredients. He used glycerin, formalin, zinc sulfate, chloride, and a blend of alcohol and salicylic acid. He simply injected the combined fluid into Rosalia.

The creepy eye thing is an optical illusion. She was mummified with her eyes slightly open. Nearby windows cast enough light to highlight her blue eyes. But as the day shifts and shadows change, viewers are tricked into seeing closed lids.

1 Club Dead

Rosalia is not the only tourist attraction in the Capuchin Catacombs. There are thousands more bodies. Although they are not so well-preserved, the mummies belonged to what researchers called “Club Dead.” It would appear that only the elite, dressed in their best, could hope to be buried there.

Creepily, nobody was buried. Instead, the dead were arranged in poses or hung on the walls. Corpses were dressed in their best uniforms, ball gowns, and religious robes. People were separated according to gender, age, and career. In the hall of professionals, several physicians and lawyers hung from wall hooks. In the nursery, children were in their cribs.^[10]

The subterranean world was maintained by monks who were paid by relatives to change the dead’s clothes and keep them clean. Today, most of the mummies have fallen into disrepair, but their doll-like desperation to act alive remains tangible. The Club Dead collection is part of a greater mystery. Sicily once had a strong tradition of drying out their loved ones. Experts still do not know why.

While most people know of the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification, the process can occur naturally. It’s rare, but every so often, a corpse will lay in the right conditions, and many years later, they’re found.

These naturally-occurring mummies have revealed numerous details about the lives these people led, and they are often thousands of years old. These ten mummies were found throughout the world, and they all had a story to tell.

Top 10 Remarkable Moments Involving Mummies

10 “Sleeping Beauty”

In 2018, a young woman’s body was found beneath a Russian reservoir, and it is believed she had been resting there for 2,000 years. The woman, who archaeologists have since dubbed “Sleeping Beauty,” was found with several interesting items, and she was wearing a silk skirt.

She held a pouch of pine nuts, and because her tomb was made entirely of stone, parts of her body didn’t decompose. Instead, it was mummified, leaving much of her corpse and her belongings for researchers to find.

Several high-value items were found within the tomb, including a beaded belt, a gemstone buckle, a Chinese-style mirror, and a make-up box. The scientists who worked on the site speculated that she might have been a young “Hun woman” who was likely a noblewoman.

Her remains were found along Yenisei River’s shoreline after a hydroelectric dam upriver caused a significant drop in water level. Archaeologist Dr. Marina Kilunovskaya, from St Petersburg’s Institute of History of Material Culture, explained that “The lower part of the body was especially well preserved. This is not a classic mummy—in this case, the burial was tightly closed with a stone lid, enabling a process of natural mummification.”^[1]

9 The Mummies Of Llullaillaco

Three children were found in a remarkably well-preserved mummified state atop the summit of Llullaillaco volcano in Argentina. The children have since been dubbed the “Maiden,” “Llullaillaco Boy,” and “Lightning Girl.” The Maiden was around 13-years-old while her companions were believed to be between four and five.

The children were the victims of human sacrifice and are around 500-years-old. What’s incredibly fascinating about these mummies is that evidence of their being drugged was found. This was done as part of a year-long series of ceremonies leading up to their sacrifice.

The discovery was made when scientists analyzed hair samples from the children. This revealed that they had been given coca leaves and beer. Additionally, their diet consisted of mostly vegetables, but shortly before their deaths, they ate the food of the elite.

The children’s bodies and clothing were incredibly well-preserved, thanks to the freezing temperatures and dry air found atop the mountain. While they aren’t the only Incan mummies found over the years, they are the most well-preserved.

This has helped archaeologists confirm historical accounts of human sacrifice by analyzing how the children were treated, how they died, and what they ate shortly before their deaths.^[2][3]

8 The Inuit Baby Of Qilakitsoq

In the 1980’s six women, a two-year-old boy, and a baby boy, were found when two brothers were hiking near the abandoned Inuit settlement, Qilakitsoq. They were found entirely by accident when they found a stack of rocks.

While the bodies were all mummified, the baby was, by far, the most interesting of the bodies. When he was first unearthed, it was believed to be a doll, but a closer look revealed the body to be that of a small child of around six-months-old.

An analysis of the body revealed that the child was buried alive — likely due to his mother’s death, leaving no one who could care for him. The bodies were found in two separate graves, which consisted of the corpses stacked atop one another, separated by animal skins.

The two-year-old boy was found to have Down’s Syndrome and was likely left to die of exposure due to his condition. This was a common practice among the Inuit at the time, as resources couldn’t be spent on anyone incapable of contributing food, clothing, or shelter.^[4]

7 Cashel Man

Bog bodies are corpses that have been discovered in peat bogs, which naturally mummify their bodies. The highly acidic water, low temperature, and minimal oxygen preserve bodies in various states. Some are skeletonized while others retain their skin and internal organs, though their bones are often partially dissolved.

Bog bodies have been found from a wide range of time periods across Europe, but the oldest one found to date is Cashel Man, who died around 4,000 years ago in 2000 B.C. The fleshed body showed signs of a violent demise, as his spine was shattered in two places, he had a broken arm, and was hit with an axe in his back several times.

Based on where he was found and the severity of his killing, Archaeologist Eamonn Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland believes that he was killed in the act of sacrifice. At the time of his death, it was common to sacrifice young men as a ritual connected with kingship.

Cashel Man was between 20 and 25-years old, and he was intentionally covered with peat following his death. He was found when a peat milling machine partially unearthed him in 2011 at Cashel bog.^[5][6]

6 The Ice Maiden

Between 1450 and 1480, a young girl of 12 to 15 was sacrificed as an offering to the Incan gods. Her body was found in 1995 atop Mount Ampato in southern Peru, where she was preserved via the freezing temperatures and dry air.

The body was entirely frozen when she was found, which preserved her body and her garments. Her skin, tissues, organs, blood, hair, and stomach contents were all well-preserved. This made it possible to analyze her in such a way as to offer up a rare glimpse into Incan culture during her lifetime.

A scan revealed that she ate a meal of vegetables about six to eight hours before her death. She was wrapped in a burial tapestry, and her head was adorned with a cap made from the feathers of a red macaw. She was fully clothed, and her garments suggest that she was from the capital city of Cusco.

An analysis of the body indicated she was killed by blunt trauma to the head, which was the normal means of sacrificing children at the time. You can see the Ice Maiden (also called “Momia Juanita”) at the Catholic University of Santa María’s Museum of Andean Sanctuaries in Arequipa, Peru, where she’s been displayed since 1996.^[7][8]

10 Intriguing Discoveries Found Inside Mummies

5 The Saltmen

Between 1993 and 2010, the remains of six men had been discovered in the Chehrabad salt mines of Iran. The men were killed when the mine shaft they were working in collapsed. Interestingly, the six men didn’t die at the same time. Three dated to sometime between 247 B.C. and 651 A.D. while the rest died sometime between 550 and 330 B.C.

The bodies were preserved, primarily due to the desiccating nature of the salt that entombed them. Their bodies were severely damaged by the collapses that killed them, but what remained was mummified and preserved. After testing the hair of a 1,700-year-old mummy, it was determined that one man had type B+ blood.

Another was found to have tapeworm eggs in his intestine. This suggests that the man ate raw or undercooked meat and is the oldest known evidence of an ancient intestinal parasite in Iran.

The bodies were found with three iron knives, a woolen half-trouser, a length of leather rope, pottery shards, a silver needle, a walnut, and a grindstone. The head and left shoe (with the leg inside) of Salt Man 1 is on display at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran.^[9][10]

4 Spirit Cave Man

The oldest human mummy found in North America was discovered in 1949 in Spirit Cave outside of Fallon, Nevada. Spirit Cave Man is believed to have died around 7430 B.C., making him the oldest naturally mummified corpse ever found at around 9,400 years old.

The body was found within the cave by employees working for the Nevada State Parks Commission while surveying potential archaeological sites at risk to guano mining. The body was wrapped in tule matting and was wearing moccasins. Before his death, which was likely due to a skull fracture or abscessed teeth, he was wrapped in a rabbit-skin blanket.

When the body was discovered, it was mistakenly identified as being between 1,500 and 2,000 years old due to how well the remains were preserved. It was deposited at the Nevada State Museum’s storage facility in Caston City, where it remained for half-a-century.^[11]

In 1997, the remains were analyzed using mass spectrometry, which indicated the body’s real age. By 2016, litigation resulted in the return of the remains to the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, which was found to be the ancestral family of Spirit Cave Man. Once reclaimed, the tribe reburied them in line with its customs.^[12]

3 Ginger

Mummification is often associated with ancient Egypt due to the advanced techniques developed by the civilization. That advancement took time, and before the process was fully developed, bodies were buried in such a way as to take advantage of the environment with the goal of preserving them.

A mummy found in 1896 is the first predynastic mummy found at Gebelein, Egypt. He is known as Gebelein Man, but due to the presence of red hair atop his head, he’s earned the nickname “Ginger.”

Ginger was between 18 and 21 at the time of his death (3351 to 3017 B.C.), which dates to the Late Predynastic period. His body was placed in the fetal position in a shallow grave, which kept it in contact with hot, dry sand. Sand in Egypt contains naturally occurring natron, allowing the absorption the body’s water, desiccating it.

This preserved him through natural mummification, though it’s possible he was buried in an effort to make this happen, as artificial mummification means were, as yet, undeveloped at the time.

An analysis of the body, which has been on display at the British Museum since 1900, indicated he had tattoos and was murdered. He was likely stabbed in the back by a flint or copper blade, measuring at least five inches in length.^[13][14]

2 Tollund Man

When he was found in 1950, Tollund Man’s features were so well preserved, he was believed to be a recent murder victim. In reality, he lived during the 4th century B.C. in Scandinavia. He is one of the most well-preserved bog bodies ever found.

Tollund Man was found in the Bjældskovdal peat bog under six feet (2 meters) of peat. He was found in the fetal position and was wearing a pointed sheepskin and wool cap, which was fastened under his chin. He was also wearing a hide belt and thong, but most interesting was the noose made of animal hide drawn tightly around his neck.

While much of Tollund Man’s body showed signs of decay despite his mummification, his head was remarkably undamaged. His facial features are striking, as few mummies are ever preserved well enough to make them out in such detail.

Tollund Man’s final meal consisted of porridge made from seeds and grains. He ate between 12 and 24 hours before his death by hanging, likely done for sacrificial purposes. He is on display at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark, though only his head is original. The body wasn’t preserved in the 1950s, so it has been reconstructed for the museum’s display.^[15]

1 Ötzi

Ötzi “The Iceman” was found in the Ötzal Alps in 1991 and was dated between 3400 and 3100 B.C. Ötzi’s body has been preserved, thanks to the extreme cold, which helped scientists determine that he was likely murdered.

An arrowhead was found in his left shoulder, which would have proven fatal. Ötzi is the oldest natural human mummy ever found in Europe. Because he was so well preserved, he’s offered a great deal of insight into Chalcolithic Europe.

His stomach contents revealed the presence of ibex meat, which he likely dined on only hours before his death. His intestines revealed the presence of red deer, herb bread, and chamois meat. He also had a whipworm infestation and was sick months before his death.

Ötzi had 61 tattoos from head to foot at the time of his death. He was found with a cloak, coat, belt, leggings, a loincloth, and shoes — all made from different leathers. The complexity of the shoes, which were somewhat waterproof, suggests the existence of cobblers during the Copper Age.

Even more fascinating is Ötzi’a DNA, which revealed the existence of 19 genetic relatives via the presence of a rare mutation, G-L91. “The Iceman and those 19 share a common ancestor, who may have lived 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.”^[16][17]

10 Facts About Ancient Egyptian Mummies You Didn’t Know