Mummification in Korea and China: Mawangdui, Song, Ming and Joseon Dynasty Mummies

Abstract

Over the decades, mummy studies have expanded to reconstruct a multifaceted knowledge about the ancient populations' living conditions, pathologies, and possible cause of death in different spatiotemporal contexts. Mainly due to linguistic barriers, however, the international knowledge of East Asian mummies has remained sketchy until recently. We thus analyse and summarize the outcomes of the studies so far performed in Korea and China in order to provide mummy experts with little-known data on East Asian mummies. In this report, similarities and differences in the mummification processes and funerary rituals in Korea and China are highlighted. Although the historical periods, the region of excavation, and the structures of the graves differ, the cultural aspects, the mechanisms of mummification, and biological evidence appear to be essentially similar to each other. Independently from the way they are called locally, the Korean and Chinese mummies belong to the same group with a shared cultural background.

Joseon Dynasty Mummies of Korea

“…When Korean mummy studies began, researchers did not know why and how human remains were not decomposed but were mummified inside Joseon graves so perfectly. After a long period of research, however, they inferred that the perfect sealing property of lime-soil mixture might play an important role in the mummification (Oh and Shin 2014;Shin et al 2018a). In addition, lime (calcium oxide) is (Lee et al 2013), augmenting an exothermic reaction.…”

“…4). In those graves, oxygen was too scarce to be used for successful decomposition of organic materials (Shin et al 2008;Shin et al 2018a). We presume that complete sealing of a coffin, oxygen deficiency, extremely high pH, presence of charcoal, a coffin made of pine tree, and high temperature generated by the lime's exothermic reaction might all be related to successful mummification in the Joseon graves (Shin et al 2008;Oh et al 2018a;Shin et al 2018a).…”

“…Mummification in Korea is more related to cultural aspects than to natural environments (Shin et al 2018a). For whatever reason, the Joseon graves have surrendered mummified remains that were not identified in the other types of tombs investigated in Korea (Shin et al 2008;Lee et al 2013).…”

“…Today, studies on mummies have expanded by means of continuously renovated research techniques and archaeological methodologies. Worldwide mummy research continues to trace the sociocultural aspects of ancient peoples, by which multifaceted knowledge is acquired in much detailed spatiotemporal contexts (Cockburn et al 1998;Aufderheide 2003;Lynnerup 2007;Shin et al 2018a).…”

“…Nevertheless, the brief reviews and infrequent reports aside (Peng and Wu 1998;Aufderheide 2003;Oh et al 2017;Shin et al 2018a), the details about the findings of East Asian mummies are still scarce.…”