An experimental assessment of the cause of mummification in the Joseon period burials, Republic of Korea

This article presents the results of experiments aimed at testing the hypothesis that the mummification of human bodies in Joseon Dynasty burials was caused by an exothermic reaction and the consequent destruction of intestinal flora. Well-preserved mummies of that period were discovered only in the Hoegwakmyo tombs, where the lime-soil-mixture barrier was present. Experiments were conducted using animals’ bodies placed in miniature grave models. Immediately after contact with moisture, the temperature inside the coffin surrounded by a lime-soil-mixture increased to 130.8±23.5°C and remained stable for 141.0±64.7 minutes. The examination of bacterial cultures on MacConkey or blood agar plates showed that the entire flora normally existing in the rat’s intestine was completely sterilized by high temperature. We also demonstrate that the same mummification can be reproduced regardless of the sizes of miniature graves.