Russian Bog-Mummy From WWII? Yes Please

This is old (the forum I got it from dates it from 2009), but it's new to me.

Certain natural conditions produce natural mummification -- cold, dry air. Desert air (which is dry and cold at night).

Bogs do too. A combination of acid in the water (which I guess doesn't support the bacteria and bugs which would decompose a body) and lack of air.

Bogs are wetlands covered with decomposing plant life and they are abundant in our Northern Hemisphere. The lack of air below the surface makes it ideal for preserving corpses. The water is acidic and the decomposition process is very slow.

Bodies of human's preserved in bogs have been found all over Northwestern Europe; namely Britain, Denmark, Northern Germany and the Netherlands. Some of these bodies date back to 8,000 B.C.

During the Roman Iron Age many of these bodies were and dumped in the bogs after military victories, or for punishment for violent crimes, including homosexuality. Some of these bodies were sacrificed as a cure for illness and many of these once living individuals died a violent death.

On February 1, 1943, a Hurricane piloted by a Russian Lieutenant was shot down by a Nazi pilot and crashed into a bog.

The plane, and his well-preserved body, has been recovered. Mild Content Warning for a Russian Mummy from WW2.

More on bog mummies from Archaeology.org.

Thanks to Walrus Rex.

I'll add some Uncategorizable Trivia.

You know in Raiders of the Lost Ark? When you see that picture of the Ark of the Covenant? When Indy says, "I've got a picture of it here in this book"?

From Here, from where you can buy the print

That drawing is by the great, and, sadly, recently late Ralph McQuarrie ( he died last month), but seems directly derived from an old Gustav Dore drawing in an illustrated Bible. He was a 19th century French artist. Illustrated a lot of classics, like The Raven.

From this site

And check out Old Gustav's close-up depiction of the Ark. Look familiar?

From here

Many of you probably already knew this. I didn't. So, it's old, but again, it's new to me.

War is how American learn about geography, and Raiders is how I learn about the Bible.

"Didn't you guys ever go to Sunday School?"

No, Indy, I didn't. Stop trying to make me feel like a dick.

Maybe I Should Have Gone To Sunday School: Gustav's depiction is pretty much derived straight from Exodus, which is pretty specific about what the Ark looks like.

posted by Ace at 12:54 PM

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