Climbing into the past—first Himalayan mummies discovered in Nepal

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science Vol. 30; no. 11; pp. 1529 - 1535
• Main Authors: Alt, Kurt W, Burger, Joachim, Simons, Angela, Schön, Werner, Grupe, Gisela, Hummel, Susanne, Grosskopf, Birgit, Vach, Werner, Téllez, Carlos Buitrago, Fischer, Christian-Herbert, Möller-Wiering, Susan, Shrestha, Sukra S, Pichler, Sandra L, Driesch, Angela von den
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Art and archaeology; Asia; Community burial chamber; High mountain archaeology; Himalayas; Human mummies; Nepal; Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan; Central Asia; Nepal; Community burial chamber; Human mummies; High mountain archaeology; Himalayas; Nepal; Grave goods; Mummy; Animal bone; Morphology; Ornament; Grave; Environment; Artefact; Skeleton; Hillfort; Adaptation; Daily life
• DOI: 10.1016/S0305-4403(03)00056-6
• ISSN: 0305-4403

In a cave system in Mebrak (Mustang District, Western Nepal), a team of archaeologists investigating extensive abandoned settlements in the high Himalayas made an extraordinary discovery in 1995. One of the caves had been used as a community burial chamber from ca. 400 BC to 50 AD. Inside, approximately 30 naturally mummified bodies rested in bed-like wooden coffins exhibiting ornamental carving and elaborate painting. The dead had been furnished with a rich store of grave goods consisting of both personal ornaments and objects of daily life as well as the remains of domestic animals. Due to the favourable climatic conditions, all of the artefacts, which also include fur and textile garments, are in a surprisingly good state of preservation. The anthropological analysis shows that the group's demographic structure is balanced, and that the individuals exhibit morphometric affinities to Mongolian populations. Within the highly homogenous group, shared morphological patterns characterize three—possibly familial—subgroups. There is evidence of successful surgical treatment, implying considerable medical knowledge. The general state of health shows the individuals to have been well adapted to their extreme environment on the edge of human habitation.