The remains of a medieval ‘mummy’ wrapped in a cocoon of birch bark have been discovered at the site of a village that belonged to a mysterious Arctic civilization.
Archaeologists discovered the remains, which they believe may be a child or teenager from the 12th or 13th century, while excavating near the town of Salekhard in Tyumen Oblast, Russia.
The site, which is 18 miles south of the Arctic Circle, is thought to be a medieval necropolis where several bodies have been buried in ways unlike anything else found in the region.
Artifacts found at the site, including bronze bowls, have led experts to conclude that the people had links to Persia, some 3,700 miles to the southwest.
Experts say the bodies found at the site appear to have been naturally mummified in the permafrost as a result of being buried with sheets of copper in their shrouds and frozen conditions.
Archaeologists have now removed the latest body to be discovered from the sandy soil, which is only frozen for part of the year—it is the first human remains to be found since 2002.
The remains, which are being kept in a special freezer at the Shemanovsky Museum in Salekhard, are due to be examined next week.
The birch bark cocoon is around 1.3 meters (4 feet) long and 30 cm (12 inches) wide, and initial examination has revealed there is material beneath the birch bark.
Experts say it is likely the body inside has been mummified much like others found at the site.
Alexander Gusev, a fellow at the Research Centre for the Study of the Arctic in Russia who led the excavation, told the Siberian Times that the birch bark cocoon appeared to have been wrapped around the body.
He said: “It follows the contours of the human body. If there is really a mummy, the head and skull are likely to be in good condition. We think it is a child, maybe a teenager.
“The find is now in Salekhard, in the Shemanovsky Museum, in special freezer. We plan to return to Salekhard on July 15 and immediately start the opening of the ‘cocoon.’”
The mummy was discovered at the site of a medieval necropolis called Zeleny Yar, which has baffled some archaeologists due to its closeness to the Arctic Circle.
Previously, they found 34 shallow graves at the site and 11 bodies with shattered or missing skulls.
Five mummies were found to be shrouded in copper and elaborately covered in reindeer, beaver, wolverine, or bear fur. Among them was a female child whose face was masked by copper plates.
Three male infants, also shrouded in copper masks, were found nearby. They were bound in four or five copper hoops.
A red-haired man, protected from chest to foot with copper plating and buried with an iron hatchet, fires, and a bronze head buckle depicting a bear, was also found at the site.
One of the burial dates to 1282, while the others are thought to be older.
The latest discovery makes six of these unusual burials.
The feet of the deceased were all aligned to point towards the Gorny Poluy River, which has been interpreted as having religious significance. However, it is not believed that the mummification of the individuals was deliberate; the copper plating may have merely served to protect the bodies before burial.
The copper is thought to have prevented oxidation and bacterial activity in the graves, while the cold conditions helped to dry out the remains.
Mr. Gusev stated: “The mummification was natural. It was a combination of factors – the bodies were overlain with copper sheets, parts of copper kettles, and together with the permafrost, this gave the preserving effect.”
Local television crews filmed the latest mummy as it was removed from the sandy ground at Zeleny Yar.
Previous work at the site had ended in 2002 after locals on the Yamal peninsula objected, claiming it was disturbing the souls of their ancestors.
Geneticists who have analyzed DNA from the bodies recovered at the site recently revealed that their mitochondrial DNA matches that of modern populations living in West Siberia.
Natalia Fyodorova from the Ural branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences commented on the discoveries: “Nowhere in the world are there so many mummified remains found outside the permafrost or marshes. It is a unique archaeological site. We are pioneers in everything from removing the object of sandy soil—something that has not been done previously—to exploring the potential for further research.”