# Any Cases of Natural mummification?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-natural-mummification/268350>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 9, 2004, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-natural-mummification/268350 "2004-10-09T08:28:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-natural-mummification/268350/21 "2004-10-12T02:04:10Z")

</div>

> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> I recall seeing something on TV about that weird pathologist whoruns that “body farm” in Tennessee…he once investigated a cemeary desecration 9sveral bgraves were dug up)…he reported that one of the bodies was that of a recent murder victim…it turned out to be that of a Civil war general, dead for 120+ years.

His Name is Dr Bill Bass. He by no means is weird. The body in question a Civil war Colonel named W. Shy. He had been buried in a sealed lead coffin. Is why the body had decomposed slower than the other bodies in the cemetary.

While I was there we called the place BIll’s Anthropological Research Field.

Yep… B.A.R.F.

_sigh_ I miss those days.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-natural-mummification/268350/22 "2004-10-12T09:10:19Z")

</div>

> [@bonzer](#):
>
> Given how memorable a visit to the crypt at St. Michan’s is, it’s perhaps a bit curmudgenly to say it **jjimm** - particularly since I’m going to claim it’s a dodgy cite at that - but it’s unlikely that “The Crusader” is anything of the sort.

Not in the least curmudgeonly - I’ve never been, and was just repeating what I’d heard and read on websites.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-natural-mummification/268350/23 "2004-10-12T17:11:25Z")

</div>

> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> Given that most earth burials are in areas with rather damp soil conditions, one would expect that much of a dead body would be decayed within 40-60 years…and in areas with very high water tables, there would not be much left even after 20-30 years.

[L.A. Story]

“Want to know how long it takes a body to rot?”  
“Boy, do we!”  
“Well, if they’re not already rotten before they die, eight or nine years. Some of them Beverly Hills women’ll last you twelve years, they will.”  
“Why?”  
“Well the skin is so tanned! It’s all streched and polished like a bloody shoe! That’ll keep the water out. And water’s the thing that’ll ruin a perfectly good dead body, it will. Also they also got all those…extra parts. They’re not biodegradable.”

[/L.A. Story]

Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I love that movie.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-natural-mummification/268350.md?page=1)