The preservation of a cadaver by a clay sealant: Implications for the disposal of nuclear fuel waste

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

“…Many signs of ancient diseases were identified in the Mawangdui lady: atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, cholelithiasis (gallstones), lead and mercury chronic poisoning, and fracture and malunion of the distal end of the right ulna and radius. Based on the pathological evidence, it was hypothesized that the most likely cause of death was a myocardial infarction or an arrhythmia due to heart attack possibly consequent to a biliary colic [ 4 , 56 ]. Muskmelon seeds (n=138.5) were found inside her intestines and paleoparasitology showed that she had suffered from Schistosoma japonicum , T. trichiura , and Enterobius vermicularis [ 49 ].…”

“…Among these factors are the air-tight sealing of the coffin, the depth of the burial ( Figure 5(c) ), and the presence of cinnabar (HgS) in the liquid found inside the coffins at the time of discovery [ 4 , 59 ]. It is also noteworthy that charcoal and kaolin clay (Bai gao ni) were used in sealing the coffins [ 56 ]. Kaolin clay may have played the same role of sealant performed by the lime soil mixture in the Hoegwakmyo graves and in the sticky rice paste sealed tombs ( Figure 5 ).…”

“…Kaolin clay may have played the same role of sealant performed by the lime soil mixture in the Hoegwakmyo graves and in the sticky rice paste sealed tombs ( Figure 5 ). The complete sealing of the Warring States-Western Han graves by kaolin clay may have prevented the percolation of water and air into the coffin, thus creating anoxic conditions inside the inner coffin and halting the decomposition [ 56 , 62 ]. The charcoal layer of the Mawangdui tomb may have also contributed to the preservation of both mummy and artefacts by absorbing the moisture that otherwise would have seeped inside the coffin [ 56 ].…”

“…Interestingly enough, the Chinese scholars did not consider the mummies belonging to the two distinct historical phases (Warring States and Western Han period versus Song/Ming dynasties) as separate entities. Rather, the corpses were classified as wet corpses [ 50 ], ancient corpses [ 4 ], or just cadavers [ 4 , 54 , 56 ], thus emphasizing the differences between the Chinese mummies and the mummies from other continents. In China, the so-called ‘Mawangdui type cadaver' generally includes the Warring States and Western Han Period mummies as well as the Song/Ming period mummies [ 4 ].…”

“…Actually, Korean and Chinese mummies share many cultural and biological characteristics. Researchers agreed that both the mummification and the artefacts' preservation in the Mawangdui like graves were most likely due to the presence of a kaolin clay layer surrounding the coffin [ 56 , 63 – 65 ]. Wang and Zhang [ 50 ] also proposed that the complete sealing of the coffin obtained resorting to the lime soil mixture was an important inducing factor for mummification in the sticky rice paste sealed tombs.…”