Viggen Posted June 28, 2010 Report Share Posted June 28, 2010 When they died, Germany noble families of the 18th century did what the Egyptians had done before them: They had themselves mummified. As an increasing number of such well-preserved corpses are found, scientists are trying to find out why. Baron von Holz had a difficult lot. During the Thirty Years' War, von Holz fought in the Swedish army as a mercenary, but he was not granted a hero's death on the battlefield. He was cut down, rather less heroically, at the age of 35 by either the flu or blood poisoning. And it was only in death, that his situation really improved. His family dressed his mortal remains in precious calf-leather boots with nailed soles. The warrior was then laid out in a kind of luxury crypt under the castle of Sommersdorf near Ansbach, in modern-day Bavaria. In those vaults von Holz's corpse was privileged with an honor previously reserved primarily for Egyptian pharaohs: His body did not decompose... ...read the full article at Der Spiegel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion-Macro Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 I never heard of the Germans doing that. That is odd. Why do we not hear about these things? This is far more interesting than the Egyptian ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryaxis Hecatee Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 the article was very nicely written on an unusual topic, proof than sometimes there are still some good investigatives journalists Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 A very interesting article which unfortunatley doesn't really attempt to explain the cause of the mumification process, except indirectly. If I have read it correctly this seems to have mainly been a natural mumification process aided by the continuing flow of air into the chambers and the inclusion of sawdust to draw off moisture from the bodies. The 'moisture' referred to is probably actually the escape of internal fluids from the internal guts/ stomachs of individuals which I believe normally aid, or actually cause the decomposing process to start. I suppose the question's we will never be able to completely answer is how it was first discovered that bodies were being preserved in this way and who started to promote this form of burial amongst the elite. Personally I would suspect that monks or priests looking after burials must have realised that burial chambers built to a particular pattern and especially those with internal air ducts seemed to create natural mummies possibly this occured when they tried to remove bones to an ossary to create space for more burials only to find 'uncorrupted' bodies. They then had a problem; either moving a 'complete' body and then watch it quickly decompose outside the original chamber or else find some way to repeat the original process and market the idea - they obviously seem to have taken the second choice as more appealing to some of their possibly 'protestant' customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted June 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 I shot an email to the University in Mannheim (who done the research on those mummies), maybe they tell us the secret .... btw. if you live in California you can actually see some of the german mummies http://www.mummiesoftheworld.com/press-releases.html The three-year tour – poised for record-breaking attendance – will visit museums and science centers in six other prominent cities in the United States. The journey commences this July 1 in Los Angeles for the exhibition's world-debut. cheers viggen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 I shot an email to the University in Mannheim (who done the research on those mummies), maybe they tell us the secret .... btw. if you live in California you can actually see some of the german mummies http://www.mummiesoftheworld.com/press-releases.html The three-year tour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted June 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 I shot an email to the University in Mannheim (who done the research on those mummies), maybe they tell us the secret .... btw. if you live in California you can actually see some of the german mummies http://www.mummiesoftheworld.com/press-releases.html The three-year tour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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