900-year-old mummy of the "Polar Princess" was unearthed in Siberia
In the Obi basin, archaeologists found the mummy of the "Polar Princess" perfectly preserved in permafrost. This unique find is a one-of-a-kind Arctic mummy of natural origin. In a cocoon of copper and fur, in which a woman lay in permafrost for nine centuries, even her long hair and thick eyelashes were preserved.
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Source: siberiantimes.com
Archaeologists handed over the mummy to scientists along with the skins with which it was wrapped.
This woman died at about 35 years old, which is a very respectable age for the XII century. At the same time, the "Polar Princess" has preserved an almost complete set of teeth and a thick head of hair. In the XII-XIII centuries, people in this region were covered with hides and birch bark during burial, between which copper plates were located. It turned out to be a kind of cocoon. And only then the body was put on the boards.
A miniature "Polar Princess" with a height of only 155 cm was also buried, wrapped in reindeer skins and birch bark. On her head was a cap and bronze jewelry.
Two metal plates were found under the animal's skin.
There are two types of mummies: natural and artificial. The most famous artificial mummies are Egyptian. In order for the natural mummification of the body to occur, a number of specific environmental conditions are needed. A find like the "Polar Princess" is unique in itself, since there are incredibly few Arctic mummies.
Scientists take samples using surgical instruments.
The "Polar Princess" was the only woman found among three dozen graves excavated by archaeologists in the burial of Zeleny Yar near Salekhard. The details of the accidentally mummified remains are striking.
Metal rings were found under the skin covering the mummy's head, which once decorated a headdress or a headband.
The tribe to which the "Polar Princess" belonged lived by hunting and fishing in the area between modern Salekhard and Labytnang in the Ob River basin, while most of the mummies, as a rule, were left by representatives of agricultural cultures. This mysterious medieval culture once dominated the polar region, but at the same time had connections with Persia.
Scientists tried to take brain samples for research.
How exactly the tribes of hunters and fishermen living 6000 km from medieval Persia were connected with this country is still unclear. However, earlier finds in the burial of the Green Yar included bronze bowls of Persian origin.
The results of tomography of the skull.
In the grave of the "Polar Princess" lay a copper cauldron, which was probably intended to protect a woman in the afterlife. It was thanks to copper that the accidental mummification of the body took place. Due to the impact of metal, the skin of the mummy acquired a greenish tint.
The skin and muscles of the mummy were only partially preserved. Archaeologists have extracted several ribs from the left side of the sternum.
Archaeologists are puzzled why the burial of the "Polar Princess" was located in the necropolis, which has always been considered exclusively male. This is the first time that a female grave was found among the male graves. Presumably, this may indicate that she belongs to a special class in an ancient society that lived in this cold region. However, no expensive jewelry, except for a few rings, was found in the grave. Despite the fact that the mummy's head is well preserved, the rest of the body is practically absent.
A detailed analysis of the mummy remains will help to better understand the life of the early polar settlers.
Thanks to the efforts of scientists from South Korea, who are doing DNA analysis of the mummy, it will be possible to restore the history of the "Polar Princess". Scientists will try to identify the diseases that the woman suffered from, and will also conduct a study of samples of the intestinal contents of the mummy so that it is possible to reconstruct the type and structure of nutrition of ancient people.
Keywords: Archeology | Hair | Mummy | Siberia