Last year the Drents Museum in the Netherlands displayed a large Buddhist statue as part of their “Mummies: Life Beyond Death” exhibit. This was the first time that this statue had been presented outside of China. Why was a statue… Read More ›
Mummies
The extreme ritual of self-mummification practiced by Buddhist monks
On Tuesday, Mongolia’s Morning News reported that the mummified remains of a Buddhist monk were discovered in the country’s Songinokhairkhan province. The body was found seated in the lotus position wrapped in an animal skin. After an initial examination, experts… Read More ›
Painting with the dead: The use of human remains in paintings
L’intérieur d’une cuisine (or “Interior of a Kitchen”) by French artist Martin Drölling was completed in 1815 and exhibited at the Paris Salon Exhibition of 1817. This painting achieved such critical acclaim that it hung at the Palais du Luxembourg… Read More ›
A mummy murder mystery wrapped in a hoax
In October of 2000 Pakistani authorities heard that a Karachi resident was trying to sell a mummy on the black market for $11 million. When the police interrogated the seller he told them he got the mummy from an Iranian… Read More ›
The strangest places human remains can be found in the U.S.
Cultures have displayed human remains as part of their mortuary practices and as gruesome trophies since ancient times. Today human remains can be seen in museums, in churches and ossuaries, in universities, and even in art galleries. Though certainly ethically… Read More ›
The macabre legacy of the heroes of the American Revolution
The American Revolution was a war of independence fought by legendary men who managed to defeat one of the greatest military forces of all time. History teachers lecture about George Washington’s victory in the Battle of Trenton in 1776, the… Read More ›
The incorruptible sleeping beauties
In Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions, incorruptibility is the belief that if the corpse of a saint does not decompose it is a sign that God has intervened because of that person’s holiness. Incorruptibility is a temporary state of… Read More ›
Vatican’s secret, and deadly, project to preserve its saints
Vatican’s secret, and deadly, project to preserve its saints By Theresa Potenza of The New York Post In 1975, Monsignor Gianfranco Nolli, the director of the Vatican’s Egyptian Museum, had an inspiration. After examining the excellent state of 4,000-year-old Egyptian… Read More ›
The accidental graveyard in the “Death Zone” of Mt. Everest
Many climbers dream about making the dangerous trek to the summit of Mt. Everest because of the adventure and challenges involved. But the grim statistic is that for every ten climbers who’ve conquered the mountain, one has died either on… Read More ›
Four deathhacks for an Egyptian mummy
A deathhack is a technique employed to make efficient or functional use of human remains. Since people frequently discover human bones, heads, and mummies at garage sales, in luggage, or in the forgotten corner of an attic, it’s important to… Read More ›
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