Buzz
While some travelers chase national parks or art museums, others are drawn to the darker side of history. If you’re fascinated by the macabre, this guide highlights 15 of the world’s most intriguing mummies worth exploring.
1. LADY DAI (XIN ZHUI) // HUNAN PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, CHANGSHA, CHINA
Huangdan2060, Wikimedia Commons
Lady Dai, the wife of a Han Dynasty marquis, passed away in the 2nd century BCE. She suffered from obesity, back pain, and gallstones. Her tomb, sealed airtight with clay and charcoal, contributed to her extraordinary preservation. Additionally, a mysterious reddish liquid surrounding her body may have aided in maintaining her condition.
2. VLADIMIR LENIN // RED SQUARE, MOSCOW, RUSSIA
This 1991 photograph marked the first time Lenin's body had been captured on camera in three decades. Image credit: AFP/Getty Images
Following the death of the notorious communist leader in 1924, his remains were embalmed and exhibited in a mausoleum on Red Square. His body undergoes re-embalming every two years using a unique solution, with meticulous attention given to addressing mold, wrinkles, and even missing eyelashes. The annual upkeep costs approximately $200,000.
3. TOLLUND MAN // SILKEBORG MUSEUM, DENMARK
Found in a Danish bog in 1950, Tollund Man met his end by hanging. His final meal consisted of a porridge made from flax and barley. Image credit: RV1864 via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Tollund Man, who died in the 4th century BCE, was naturally preserved by peat, earning him a place among the most renowned bog bodies. His serene, sleeping appearance contrasts with the noose around his neck, hinting at a violent death by hanging. Bog bodies are often so well-preserved that they are sometimes mistaken for modern murder victims. Other examples of bog bodies can be found in museums across Europe.
4. GEBELEIN MAN // BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON, ENGLAND
Fæ, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
The British Museum houses six naturally mummified bodies from Egypt’s 4th millennium BCE, all discovered in the same grave. These are the earliest known natural mummies from Egypt, predating the Great Pyramid by roughly a millennium. The most famous, nicknamed “Ginger” due to his red hair, has been exhibited nearly continuously since 1901. He was between 18 and 20 years old when he died from a stab wound to his left shoulder, which punctured his lung.
5. ÖTZI // SOUTH TYROL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY, BOLZANO, ITALY
Getty Images
Ötzi, the most extensively studied mummy globally, met his end around 3300 BCE in the Ötztal Alps. Approximately 45 years old at the time of his death, the Iceman succumbed to a shoulder injury and possibly a head wound. His body was naturally mummified by the freezing conditions. He boasts some of the oldest known tattoos and was found with an array of tools, weapons, and even a primitive first aid kit.
6. LA DONCELLA // MUSEUM OF HIGH ALTITUDE ARCHAEOLOGY, SALTA, ARGENTINA
grooverpedro, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0
“The Maiden,” one of the Children of Llullaillaco, was an Inca child who perished on the volcano five centuries ago. La Doncella, approximately 15 years old, died in her sleep after consuming coca leaves and chicha beer. She may have been an aclla, or “sun virgin,” selected as a child to be sacrificed to the gods. The cold, arid climate preserved her body flawlessly, giving her the appearance of someone who had just drifted into slumber.
7. ITIGILOV // IVOKGINSKY DATSAN, BURYATIA
Wikimedia Commons // Fair Use
Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, a Buddhist lama, passed away in 1927 while meditating in the lotus position. He left instructions to be buried as he was, placed in a pine box, and exhumed years later. Monks periodically checked on his remains, and in 2002, he was formally exhumed and moved to the Ivolginsky Datsan temple. The exact method of preservation remains unclear, but it is believed monks used salt over the years to dehydrate his body.
8. EVEREST CLIMBERS // "RAINBOW VALLEY," MT. EVEREST, NEPAL/CHINA
Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
The first recorded fatalities on the world’s highest mountain occurred nearly a century ago. Today, around 200 or more bodies remain on Everest, many located in the area known as "Rainbow Valley," near the summit on the northeast ridge. The valley’s eerie name comes from the colorful climbing gear worn by those who died during their ascent. Retrieving these bodies is challenging due to the harsh terrain and can cost over $30,000, so most remain on the mountain, turning Everest into the planet’s highest-altitude “graveyard.”
9. CAPUCHIN MUMMIES // PALERMO, SICILY, ITALY
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
The Catacombe dei Cappuccini, used from 1599 to the 1920s, were initially reserved for monks but soon became a burial site for affluent locals. Bodies were dehydrated using ceramic pipes and treated with vinegar. The catacombs now house 1,252 mummies and nearly 7,000 skeletons. Some mummies are posed or dressed, while others are partially covered with sheets. The most famous resident is Rosalia Lombardo, a 2-year-old who died in 1920 and is exceptionally preserved due to a unique Sicilian embalming method.
10. SALT MAN 1 // NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRAN, TEHRAN, IRAN
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
Since 1993, the remains of at least six men have been discovered in the Chehrabad salt mines in Zanjan, Iran. These individuals, likely victims of mine collapses, date back 1,700 to 2,200 years to the Parthian and Sassanid Empires. The salt naturally preserved their bodies. Salt Man 1 is exhibited at the National Museum, while four others are displayed at the Zanjan Archaeology Museum. The sixth and most recent discovery remains in the mine where it was found.
11. MUMMY OF SAN ANDRES // MUSEUM OF NATURE AND MAN, TENERIFE, SPAIN
Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Before the Spanish colonized the Canary Islands, the indigenous Guanche people practiced intentional mummification of their social elite by eviscerating and drying the bodies. Hundreds of mummies were stored in caves across the islands until the 15th century, when many were reportedly sold, traded, or ground into mummia, a medicinal powder used until the early 20th century. The mummy of San Andrés, a man in his late 20s, is displayed in the Canary Islands, while other Guanche mummies are housed in Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum.
12. SIBERIAN ICE MAIDEN // REPUBLICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM, GORNO-ALTAYSK, ALTAI, RUSSIA
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
In 1993, a burial chamber was discovered deep beneath the Russian steppes. Inside a log cabin-style coffin, surrounded by artifacts and horses, lay a woman in her 20s who died in the 5th century BCE. Known as the Ice Maiden, her elaborate attire—including a gilded headdress—and intricate tattoos suggest she held a high status, possibly as a priestess. Recent MRI scans indicate she likely succumbed to breast cancer.
13. MUMMIES OF GUANAJUATO // EL MUSEO DE LAS MOMIAS, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO
Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0
In the 19th century, Guanajuato imposed a burial tax. If a family failed to pay for three consecutive years, the body was exhumed. The region’s climate naturally mummified many of these corpses, and unclaimed ones were stored in a nearby building. Soon, cemetery caretakers began charging visitors to view the mummies, which include individuals of all ages, from infants to the elderly. Today, the collection boasts 111 mummies.
14. HATSHEPSHUT AND RAMESS II // MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES, CAIRO, EGYPT
Wikimedia Commons // CC-BY-SA-3.0
Some of the world’s most renowned mummies, excavated from the Valley of the Kings, are housed in Egypt. Hatshepsut, the second confirmed female pharaoh, died in 1458 BCE in her 50s, likely from bone cancer caused by carcinogenic skin treatments, as recent forensic studies suggest. She also suffered from diabetes, arthritis, and dental issues. Ramesses II, who died around 1213 BCE at age 90, is celebrated for his military campaigns and monuments. His mummy reveals healed battle wounds, arthritis, hardened arteries, and a severe dental infection that may have been fatal. These and other royal mummies, along with their gold masks and sarcophagi, are displayed at the Cairo Museum.
15. DAIJUKU BOSATSU SHINNYOKAI-SHONIN // RYUSUI-JI DAINICHIBO TEMPLE, TSURUOKA CITY, JAPAN
Sokushinbutsu, a form of self-mummification practiced by Buddhist monks in Yamagata prefecture from the 11th to 19th centuries, involved a strict diet of pine needles, seeds, and resins to eliminate body fat, followed by gradual dehydration over several years. Monks would pass away during meditation, achieving natural mummification. While hundreds attempted this practice, only around two dozen succeeded. Among them, Daijuku Bosatsu Shinnyokai-Shonin, who died in 1783, is one of the most renowned, and his preserved body is exhibited in a Buddhist temple.
