An extremely well-preserved mummy found in the crypt of a village church in Austria not only has its identity confirmed but also provides a new, previously unknown method of embalming. The body, which had long been referred to as the “Air-Dried Chaplain” of St. Thomas am Blasenstein, is now identified as the body of Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, a parish vicar who died in 1746.
The results were detailed in a study published in Frontiers in Medicine. The team of researchers, led by Dr. Andreas Nerlich, a pathologist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, employed a range of forensic methods—such as CT scanning, radiocarbon dating, and focal autopsy—to uncover both the identity of the mummy and the reasons behind its remarkable preservation.
What was so distinct about this find was not merely the condition of the mummy, but the unconventional embalming technique that was practiced. Unlike typical practices involving surgically opening up the body, the embalmers inserted the preserving materials through the rectum. In the abdominal and pelvic cavities, the researchers discovered locally available absorbent materials: chips of fir and spruce wood, fragmented twigs, and textile materials such as linen, hemp, flax, and even silk. Toxicology tests also detected traces of zinc chloride—a potent drying agent—copper, and minor amounts of arsenic, which contributed to the preservation of the corpse.
The mummy’s trunk was well-preserved, while the head and extremities showed more typical signs of decomposition. A tiny glass bead with holes at both ends was also discovered inside the body, likely part of monastic garb that was possibly accidentally left during preparation.
Aside from the embalming process, the study sheds light on Sidler’s life and death. The decedent was aged 35 to 45 years at the time of his death and lived in the mid-18th century, an era confirmed by radiocarbon dating. The man would have had a high-quality diet consisting of Central European grains, terrestrial animal products, and inland fish—consistent with a person of aristocratic and clerical status. His skeleton showed no signs of hard labor, supporting the theory that he led a relatively sedentary lifestyle, as might be expected from a parish vicar.
The researchers also discovered signs of long-term smoking and advanced lung tuberculosis.
The researchers theorize that the unusual embalming practice was employed to prevent the spread of disease through “miasma,” a pre-germ-theory belief that bad air brings illness. Or, it may be that the vicar was meant to be transported to his home monastery at Waldhausen im Strudengau, but for some reason, his corpse remained at St. Thomas am Blasenstein.
This is the first confirmed case of this kind of embalming practice, and Nerlich states that future scientists should remain alert to such undocumented techniques.
In an earlier analysis from 2000, Austrian pharmacologist Bernhard X. Mayer had examined the corpse using a portable X-ray, revealing only the glass bead and raising suspicions of poisoning. That possibility has now been discounted on the basis of the more recent, thorough examination.
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