It's remarkable that the grave lay undisturbed, especially since the nearby dam began operating between 1978 and 1985, the archaeologists said. An excavation of the grave goods revealed that the mummified person was likely a noblewoman during her lifetime. For instance, the grave goods were ornate, the round makeup container was covered with birch bark and the Chinese mirror within it was housed in a felt case, the archaeologists said.



St. Virginia Centurione BracelliShe lived 350 years ago in Genoa, Italy, and after her arranged marriage ended in the death of her husband, a wealthy noble, Virginia began a life of service. She founded Cento Signore della Misericordia Protettrici dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo in the 1620s to help the needy in her area. She spent the remainder of her life in service. In 1985 her body was exhumed and beatified, and in 2003 she was officially canonized.

The maiden herself was wrapped in a silk tunic from India, stained with dyes of exotic origin, possibly from as far away as the Mediterranean coast. With her was an ornate Chinese mirror and a small pouch filled with cannabis.

When the Soviet Union existed, Lenin's suit was changed once a year. Since the fall of the communist nation, the mummy's suit is changed every five years.

In 1972, eight Eskimo mummies were discovered in a frozen tomb in Qilakitsoq. Essentially freeze-dried in the cold temperature, the mummies were a family. Carbon dating places the tomb at approximately 1460, making them the oldest mummies yet found in Greenland. Three of them were heavily tattooed women dressed in over 78 pieces of fur and skins. Piled on top of them was a young boy, equally well-dressed, whose face has the distinct features of Down syndrome. X-rays revealed he also suffered from Calve-Perthes disease, his hip joints nearly fused. Atop all the bodies was a little baby boy, about six months old, who was concluded to have been buried alive atop his mother.