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Mummies are most commonly tied to the ancient Egyptians, although they were not the only ones to preserve the remains of both humans and animals. The Chinese also practiced mummification. Interestingly, the Egyptians might not have been the pioneers in this practice. The Chinchorro people of Chile were mummifying their deceased as early as 5000 BC, long before Egypt's first known mummification, which occurred 2,000 years later.
Mummification could also happen naturally. This occurred with the Incas, who preserved their dead through exposure to cold climates and arid conditions. However, the most intriguing natural mummies arose when humans or animals perished in a particular setting.
A rare mix of ideal location, weather, temperature, and the absence of scavengers led to the natural mummification of some creatures. The mummies we've uncovered are simply extraordinary.
10. Stuckie the Dog
Stuckie is the preserved body of a hunting dog that became trapped inside a chestnut oak tree, where it remained for nearly 60 years. Likely chasing a raccoon, the dog entered the tree through a hole around 1960.
Sadly, the dog was too large to pass through the hollow tree and became stuck, eventually succumbing to starvation. However, instead of decomposing, its body mummified. It remained intact for almost six decades before being found when loggers cut the tree open.
Scientists later revealed that the tree's tannin, which absorbs moisture, prevented Stuckie's body from rotting. Moreover, being trapped inside the tree kept the animal's remains safe from scavengers. Stuckie is now on display at the Southern Forest World Museum in Waycross, Georgia, with the dog still inside the tree.
9. Two Extinct Cave Lions
In 2015, while searching for mammoth fossils near the Uyandina River in Siberia, contractors discovered the mummified remains of two cave lion cubs. These cubs were about the same size as the Siberian tiger, the largest cat species on Earth. Cave lions once roamed across Africa, Europe, and North America until their extinction 12,000 years ago.
Over 12,000 years ago, these cave lion cubs were just 2 to 3 weeks old when their den collapsed, trapping them beneath the soil. Cave lion cubs are born blind, and it’s believed the mummified cubs never opened their eyes before they died.
The icy conditions of Siberia naturally mummified their remains, preserving them remarkably well. Even their eyes remained intact, making them the most complete cave lion fossils discovered to date. Prior to this find, only fossilized bones had provided evidence of cave lions' existence. The cubs were named Uyan and Dina, after the Uyandina River where they were found.
8. Lions From Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians are renowned for their pharaohs, pyramids, and mummies. While most people know about their mummification of humans and cats, fewer realize that they also preserved the bodies of several other animals, including baboons, crocodiles, dogs, birds, and lions.
Mummified lions are perhaps the most unexpected. It’s well-known that lions were sacred in ancient Egypt. The god Nefertum is depicted with the head of a lion, and the goddess Sekhmet also has a lion’s head. Writings from ancient Egypt suggest they not only kept lions but may have mummified them upon their death.
A team of archaeologists, led by Alain Zivie, confirmed the existence of mummified lions when they uncovered the first lion remains among the mummies of cats at the Saqqara cemetery in Egypt. Further investigation revealed that the lion had been a pet, living and dying in captivity.
7. Fake And Partial Animal Mummies
A few years back, researchers from the University of Manchester and Manchester Museum scanned 800 animal mummies from ancient Egypt. To their astonishment, they found that a third of these mummies contained no animal remains at all. Another third held only partial remains, while the final third had intact animals.
This likely happened because many animals were mummified as offerings to Egyptian gods. In contrast, human mummies were preserved for spiritual journeys into the afterlife.
Researchers suspect that the ancient Egyptians bred animals specifically to be mummified. During high demand periods, they were sometimes unable to keep up, leading them to take shortcuts. One of the easiest ways to cut corners? Leaving the animal out of the mummy.
While some researchers believe that sellers intentionally marketed fake mummies as real, others argue that vendors may have substituted animals with objects associated with them, a practice they considered ethically acceptable. For example, a nest or eggshell could replace a bird. But the truth remains uncertain.
6. An Ancient Baby Horse
Until recently, the Batagaika crater in eastern Siberia was home to the mummified remains of a young Lena horse (Equus caballus lenensis). The Lena horse, now extinct, roamed eastern Siberia around 30,000–40,000 years ago. This foal is thought to have lived during that period.
It is believed that the foal drowned after falling into a natural trap. At the time of its death, the animal was just two months old. Luckily for us, its body was perfectly preserved in the icy permafrost of Siberia, with its skin, tail, hooves, and even nose hairs intact.
5. Mummies Of Eagles, Doves, Swallows, Bats, And More
Lake Natron is one of the most bizarre lakes you’ll ever read about. Situated in Tanzania, it has an exceptionally high alkaline content, making it extremely caustic and lethal. Animals that fall into its waters are calcified in the process. Only a few species, such as flamingos, the Alcolapia latilabris (a type of small fish), and algae can withstand the lake’s harsh conditions.
Mummified bodies of eagles, doves, swallows, songbirds, and even bats have been found in Lake Natron. Many flying creatures become victims due to the lake’s mirror-like reflection from above. Several birds and even a helicopter pilot accidentally flew into the lake after mistaking it for open air.
Lake Natron gets its name from natron, a chemical compound made from sodium carbonate and baking soda. This mixture gives the water its high alkalinity and causes the birds to mummify. Natron itself has been used by humans for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians utilized it as early as the 4th millennium BC for making glass and preserving their mummies.
4. Yukagir Bison
In 2011, a group of tribesmen in Siberia stumbled upon the mummified remains of a bison by a lake. Researchers identified it as a steppe bison (Bison priscus), an extinct ancestor of the modern American and European bison. The fossil was named after the Yukagir tribe that discovered it.
The Yukagir bison was found in astonishing condition, especially considering it died around 9,000 years ago. In fact, it holds the record as the most well-preserved steppe bison fossil ever discovered. It retained its fur and most of its internal organs—including the heart, lungs, stomach, blood vessels, and brain—albeit in a shrunken form.
After conducting further analysis, researchers determined that the bison was about four years old at the time of death. It likely starved to death, as there was no fat present in its abdomen.
3. A 12,400-Year-Old Puppy
In 2016, scientists were fortunate enough to examine the 12,400-year-old mummified remains of a puppy from the Pleistocene epoch. This fossil was discovered frozen in the permafrost along the banks of the River Syalakh in Siberia. Researchers speculate that the puppy perished in a landslide, after which its body became mummified in the ice.
Interestingly, the mummified puppy fossil was remarkably well-preserved. Its entire body, from its nose to its tail, remained intact, with its fur untouched. However, its brain had partially decomposed. Still, 70–80 percent of the brain was preserved, which is quite remarkable considering the puppy's age.
To give some perspective, the partially decomposed brain of this 12,400-year-old puppy is the only brain we have from any animal from the Pleistocene epoch, even though the puppy is not the only dog or animal from that era to be discovered.
Back in 2011, another dog fossil was discovered in the same region. Unfortunately, it was too decayed to provide useful insights. Scientists believe the two dogs are related, and human tools were also found nearby at the site.
They believe the tools belonged to the humans who owned these animals, suggesting that they were domesticated. This is why scientists concluded that these were dogs and not wolves. Furthermore, researchers think the valuable DNA and tissue extracted from the 12,400-year-old puppy might one day allow it to be brought back to life.
2. Ice Age Wolf Pup
In 2016, Canadian miners made an extraordinary discovery in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada—the mummified remains of a 50,000-year-old ice age wolf pup, the only one ever found. As the permafrost began to melt, the pup was unearthed, perfectly preserved, with its head, tail, skin, hair, and other body parts intact.
Nearby, a caribou calf was also uncovered, but it wasn’t as well preserved. Missing several crucial body parts from the stomach down, only its head, torso, and two front legs remained. Scientists concluded that both the wolf pup and the caribou calf perished around the same time, and they hope to extract DNA from the pup to learn more about the ice age wolf population.
1. Yuka The Mammoth
Yuka the mammoth holds the record for the best-preserved mammoth fossil ever discovered. Despite having been dead for 39,000 years, her internal organs remain intact, including her brain, tissues, and muscles. Researchers are now using her DNA and tissues in attempts to clone the woolly mammoth.
The discovery of Yuka’s preserved brain is particularly remarkable, as no other mammoth brain has ever been found, even though many mammoth fossils have been uncovered. The brain was discovered quite by accident during an MRI scan that was originally intended to determine Yuka’s age.
Yuka was discovered in Russia’s Arctic Circle in 2010. Weighing over 100 kilograms (220 lbs), researchers speculate she was between 6 and 11 years old when she died. Examination of her body revealed evidence of injuries, including bite and scar marks, suggesting she was attacked by a cave lion attempting to feed on her.
Some humans observed the hunt. The cave lion made the kill, and it’s likely that the humans tried to claim it for themselves. However, it’s clear that none of the groups were successful in their efforts.
