When we think of mummies, the famous Tutankhamun often comes to mind. His lavish tomb and golden mask have captured imaginations for decades. But the world of mummified remains is vast, holding countless other individuals whose stories are just as fascinating, if not more bizarre. Forget the usual tales; we’re delving into narratives of disguised identities, unexpected companions in death, and even ancient cautionary tales. Get ready to explore some of the most astonishing and strange untold stories from the grave, revealing that history is often stranger than fiction.
The Hidden Baby Beside the Bishop
Peder Winstrup, a prominent bishop, was laid to rest in Sweden’s Lund Cathedral in 1679. His body is remarkably well-preserved from the 17th century. When modern researchers decided to examine the bishop more closely, they found an unexpected secret tucked away at his feet: a tiny, stillborn baby boy. While burying infants with adults wasn’t unheard of at the time, the connection was a mystery. In 2021, DNA analysis provided answers. The bishop and the baby shared 25 percent of their DNA. After reviewing Winstrup’s family tree, the most plausible explanation was that the infant was his grandchild. This close family tie likely explains why they were buried together, a poignant secret hidden for centuries.
The Mummified Bee Nests of Panama
A fire at the Catedral Basílica Santa María la Antigua in Panama City in 1875 led to an unintentional marvel of preservation. During restoration work, the altarpiece was repaired with gold leaf. Little did anyone know, this process sealed in several bee nests. Fast forward 150 years, and another restoration team uncovered these nests, perfectly mummified. The bees, identified as the elusive Eufriesea surinamensis, known for their rainbow faces, were incredibly well-preserved. This rare find offered scientists a chance to study the shy species and the pollen they collected. The pollen revealed the local ecosystem from a century and a half ago, including 48 different plants, one of which, a tea mangrove, no longer grows near Panama City.
Alex: The Ancient Couch Potato Priest
Around 2,200 years ago in ancient Egypt, a man, whose name is lost but whose profession as a priest is known from coffin inscriptions, passed away. Nicknamed Alex by researchers at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, scans of his mummy revealed a lifestyle surprisingly modern in its unhealthiness. Alex consumed a diet rich in carbohydrates, led a sedentary life, and seemed to avoid sunlight. This proved that being a ‘couch potato’ isn’t just a modern issue. His lifestyle had severe consequences; Alex suffered from heart disease and osteoporosis so advanced it reduced his height to about 1.5 meters (5 feet). He died relatively young, between 30 and 40 years old, despite likely having high status.
The Curious Case of the Aged Portrait Mummy
Between the first and third centuries AD, a touching practice emerged in Egypt: painting a portrait of the deceased on their mummy wrappings, usually over the face. For years, researchers wondered if these portraits were accurate likenesses. In 2020, a portrait mummy of a young boy, who likely died from pneumonia around age 3 or 4, underwent facial reconstruction. Using software to scan his skull, scientists created a digital likeness. The result was a striking match to the painted portrait, with one intriguing difference: the artist had depicted him as significantly older. It’s still unknown if this age progression was common, a family’s special request, or simply artistic license.
The Hawk Mummy That Harbored a Human Secret
In 2018, an impulsive decision at the Maidstone Museum in England led to a startling discovery. After scanning a human mummy, the team decided to scan some of their animal mummies. One was a beautifully decorated hawk mummy, presumed to be a cherished pet. However, the scans revealed not a bird’s skeleton, but the remains of a severely malformed human baby. The infant was anencephalic, a condition meaning it was born with an almost nonexistent brain and missing most of its skull. The baby also had a cleft palate and lip and an unclosed spine. Despite these conditions, which likely caused death at birth, the boy was mummified with great care, a stark contrast to the typical pot burials for children in ancient Egypt. Why he received this unusual, valued burial remains a mystery.
Takabuti: An Irish Mummy’s Murder Mystery Solved
Takabuti was the first Egyptian mummy to arrive in Ireland, back in 1834. Hieroglyphics on her coffin identified her as the married daughter of a priest, who died in her 20s around 660 BC. For a long time, the cause of her early death was unknown. Modern DNA tests and scans unveiled several surprises. Genetically, she was more closely related to Europeans than to modern Egyptians. The scans chillingly revealed her cause of death: Takabuti was stabbed violently in the back. Adding to her unique story, she had two rare conditions: an extra vertebra and an extra tooth.
Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa II: New Insights into a Warrior King’s Death
Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa II is known for his fierce war against the Hyksos people who occupied Egypt. While his son died in battle, the pharaoh’s own end was less clear. His mummy, found in 1886, showed a severe wound across his forehead, and its poor condition suggested a hasty embalming, possibly after death in battle. A 2021 study revealed even more injuries. Besides the large gash on his forehead, he suffered trauma to his nose, cheeks, and above his right eye. He was also stabbed at the base of his neck. The absence of defensive wounds on his arms suggests he might have been bound. The angle of the wounds indicates he was kneeling when attacked by multiple assailants using axes, swords, and blunt objects. This brutal death suggests he was captured and executed on the battlefield, supporting legends of pharaohs fighting alongside their soldiers.
The Dodo Mummy’s Unexpected Demise
Oxford’s Natural History Museum houses a unique dodo specimen – the only one of this extinct species with soft tissue. Hoping to learn more about the dodo’s evolution, researchers scanned its mummified head. They found something entirely unexpected: lead pellets lodged in the skull. This dodo, which lived in the 1600s, had been shot in the head from behind. While dodos were hunted relentlessly on their native Mauritius, this particular bird was supposedly living in London as a popular attraction. Why would someone shoot it? If an eyewitness account of it living in London was false and it was shot in Mauritius, another mystery arises: how was its carcass preserved for the long sea journey to Britain, a mummification feat for the time?
The Startling Secret of the Pregnant Mummy
In the 19th century, the University of Warsaw received an Egyptian mummy believed to be an important priest named Hor-Djehuty, according to the elaborate coffin. However, the mummy trade of that era was often dishonest, with sellers sometimes placing any mummy into an impressive coffin. Recent scans in 2016 confirmed the university’s suspicions: the body inside was not Hor-Djehuty but an unknown woman. Any disappointment quickly turned to astonishment when the scans revealed she was six to seven months pregnant. Inexplicably, the fetus was not removed during her mummification process, making her the world’s only known deliberately mummified pregnant woman.
The Tragic Hoax of the Persian Princess Mummy
In 2000, Pakistani police intercepted individuals attempting to sell a mummy. It was sent to the National Museum in Karachi, and a press conference announced the discovery of a Persian princess who supposedly died around 600 BC. The find was deemed so significant that Iran and Pakistan disputed ownership. However, the fairytale discovery soon unraveled. Grammatical errors were found in the cuneiform script on her breastplate, which ‘revealed’ her name, Rhodugune – a name more Greek than Persian. The reed mat beneath her was only about 50 years old. Experts initially feared it was an ancient mummy fraudulently adorned to increase its value. The truth was far more disturbing: the woman was not ancient at all. She had died around 1996 from a broken neck, with a blow from a blunt object also fracturing her spine. Many questions remain: Who was she? What were the circumstances of her death, and who mummified her in this elaborate, deceitful manner?
These mummies, each with a unique and often startling story, remind us that the past is filled with individuals whose lives and deaths were as complex and intriguing as our own. Beyond the gold and grandeur, it’s these untold tales that offer some of the most profound glimpses into history.
Which of these mummy stories did you find the most surprising? Do you know of any other mummies with strange, untold tales? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
