Well-Preserved Austrian Mummy Reveals Unusual Rectal Embalming Technique

Learn how the examination of Austrian mummy remains reveals details of his life, but leaves a few mysteries behind.

By Paul Smaglik
May 2, 2025 4:15 PMMay 2, 2025 4:42 PM
The 'air-dried chaplain'
The mummy of the 'air-dried chaplain' in his coffin in the church crypt of St. Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria. (Image Credit: Andreas Nerlich)

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We typically associate mummies with ancient Egypt — or sometimes cheesy old horror movies. Now a newly described mummy from an unexpected place — Austria — details in the journal Frontiers in Medicine a previously unknown embalming technique.

Although mummification is firmly linked to the Age of the Pharaohs, other cultures have employed various embalming techniques resembling that process. It is often used for religious reasons and the methods vary by time and place.

Unusual Embalming Technique

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