| Andong Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Andong Mummy |
| Age | 45.4 |
| Sex | Male |
| Status | elite |
| Height | 160.2 cm |
| Source | |
| Culture | Joseon Korea |
| Date(s) | 1783±30 CE |
| Site | Andong, Republic of Korea |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Unknown |
| Catalog # | Unknown |
Andong Mummy was discovered in 2013 in a Joseon era tomb in the city of Andong, Republic of Korea.
Biography[]
The Andong Mummy was a Korean man around 45 years old in the Joseon dynasty. A topknot on his head indicates his married status, as bachelors were not permitted to wear it during the time period.
Mummification[]
Lime, red clay, and sand were blended together in given proportions to construct the Hoegwakmyo tomb. The mixture was poured around the coffin and, once hardened, it completely sealed the grave. This combined with a large amount of clothing used to fill the coffin, produced a shortage of oxygen inside the coffin itself. The lime soil mixture then generated relatively high temperatures, and the heat lasted for some time, and completely killed the bacteria in the corpse, promoting a successful mummification. Taken together, the use of a lime soil mixture, the textile filling, the low content of oxygen inside the coffin, and the high temperature produced by the hardening of lime soil mixture, operated together and encouraged the mummification process.
Studies[]
In 2013, Korean researchers performed a routine CT scan and autopsy on the Andong Man, the team found the right lobe of the man’s liver, part of his stomach, and part of his colon pushed through in a hole in his diaphragm. The man had suffered from a Bochdalek-type congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) that may have caused pain in his chest and abdomen, but the herniated organs had not perforated or strangulated, so the condition may not have been the cause of death.
The mummy was wrapped in a cloth shroud, wearing straw shoes typical of the time period.
Pathology[]
He had suffered from congenital diaphragmatic hernia until his death around 45 years of age, but he is not believed to have died due to a result of his condition.
His autopsy showed no signs of external injuries, while the right side of his abdominal organs were herniated through the diaphragm and the heart was displaced. There were no signs of cardiac pathology.
References[]
Kim, Y., Lee, I., Jung, G., Kim, M., Oh, C., & Yoo, D. et al. (2014). Radiological Diagnosis of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia in 17th Century Korean Mummy. Plos ONE, 9(7). http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099779