Enigma Of San Bernardo Mummies That Refuse To Decompose
Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Due to their extraordinary condition the San Bernardo mummies are undoubtedly an enigma. The mummies simply refuse to decompose, and no-one can explain why.
Unlike other dead people, these bodies have been buried and somehow naturally preserved, the mummification process has taken place without any sort of accidental chemical intervention. How is it possible?
San Bernardo is a small town in Colombia about 3 hours south of Bogota. The mummies are not ancient, but nevertheless very intriguing. They bodies were discovered in the 1950s, when a flood forced people to relocate the local cemetery. When workers moved the graves they were started to discover several corpses that were still in excellent condition. The bodies showed no signs of decay or decomposition. Eyewitnesses said the San Bernando mummies seemed to be in a perpetual state of suspended animation. This is a mystery because unlike for example ancient Egyptian mummies or the strange mummies of Venzone, these bodies showed no sign of complicated mummification processes.
Credit: NTDTV/YouTube
The people who had been buried here were neither famous nor rich. They were locals who had lived in the town and put to rest at the cemetery.
See also:
Mystery Of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov: A Mummy Whose Body Defies Time
The Tuli Mummy: Botswana’s Only Ancient Mummified Human Body Discovered So Far
America’s Mysterious Pedro Mountain Mummy And The Hidden Race Of Little People
Scientists have speculated how these bodies refuse to bow down to the inevitable passage of time and there are some theories, but none of them solves the puzzle. Some have suggested a local diet may explain why the bodies of the deceased are still in excellent condition. Apparently, the guatila and the baluthere are two unusual fruits commonly eaten in the area.
It is possible these fruits kept the people healthy, but the diet fails to explain why the clothes are still intact. The alleged diet doesn’t also explain why perfectly well-preserved mummies have only been found at one cemetery. This has led to the speculation that there may be some unknown organisms in the ground, at least at this particular place. Another possibility us that the climate in the area may be the reason why the dead refuse to rot. We simply don’t know how this natural, and yet unique mummification process happened.
The extraordinary well-preserved San Bernando mummies still puzzle the scientific community, and the cause has never been satisfactorily solved.
Credit: NTDTV/YouTube
“I think the location of the cemetery, the actual site, I think it is something to do with the Universe, because it never happened at the old cemetery, never. No mummies ever came out from there,”one local said.
Family members have allowed bodies of their loved one to be put on display for educational purposes. Tourists can visit the mausoleum and see some of the best-preserved mummies.
Some of the best-preserved bodies are kept inside a glass case. One person is still dressed in jacket, tie and trousers. If it hadn’t been for the oddly pale face and sunken eye sockets giving him away as a corpse, you could hardly believe you are starring at someone who passed away a long time ago.
Written by - Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Inca Llajta: Largest And Most Impressive Inca Complex In Bolivia
Civilizations | Dec 6, 2018
-
Ancient Flying Canoes And Magic In The Pacific – Clues In The North – Part 2
Featured Stories | Feb 1, 2020
-
120,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Discovered In Saudi Arabia
Archaeology | Sep 18, 2020
-
Why Was The Dmanisis Gora Fortress Community So Resilient In The Transition From The Bronze To Iron Age
Archaeology | Jun 5, 2023
-
Myth Of The Pale Sun Followed By A Catastrophe Confirmed By Archaeologists
Featured Stories | Sep 22, 2024
-
First Human Culture Lasted 20,000 Years Longer Than Thought – New Study
Archaeology | Jan 11, 2021
-
A Baffling 100-Year-Old ‘Alien’ Puzzle – Shocking Cosmic Secrets
Featured Stories | Sep 20, 2018
-
Unique Ornamented Golden Bronze Age Belt Discovered Near Opava, Czech Republic
Artifacts | Oct 28, 2022
-
Hel – Loki’s Terrible Daughter And Goddess Of The Land Of Dead
Featured Stories | Mar 26, 2018
-
Hacksilber Hoard Dated To 11th Century BC: Eastern Mediterranean Silver Trade Reconstructed
Archaeology | Jul 5, 2021
-
Why Was Celebration Of Christmas, Easter, Midsummer And Saint’s Day Forbidden In Scotland?
Ancient History Facts | Dec 27, 2019
-
Children Of Lir And Aoife’s Curse – Celtic Legend That Inspired The Swan Lake Ballet
Featured Stories | Feb 8, 2024
-
Extremely Rare English Medieval Shipwreck With Fascinating Cargo Discovered In Poole Bay, Dorset
Archaeology | Jul 23, 2022
-
Perplexing Accounts Of Ancient People Who Demonstrated Incredible Powers Of The Human Mind
Featured Stories | Feb 1, 2019
-
Colosseum-Like Structure Unearthed In 2700-Year-Old Ancient City Of Mastaura
Archaeology | Aug 22, 2020
-
Naqsh-e Rostam: Spectacular Tomb Complex With Rock Reliefs From Elamite To Sasanian Times
Civilizations | Nov 15, 2018
-
Ancient Warming Event May Have Been Trigged By Changes In Earth’s Orbit
Archaeology | Dec 13, 2022
-
Large Palace Discovered At Mayan City Of Kulubá In Yucatan, Mexico
Archaeology | Dec 27, 2019
-
3,000-Year-Old Graves With Some Oldest Burial Sites Discovered in Central Norway
Archaeology | Dec 8, 2017
-
On This Day In History: Berlin Opened For One Day – On Dec 20, 1963
News | Dec 20, 2016