Mummy Men Examine Mystery Of Preserved Thai Monk
[Original headline: Mummy in shades]
Dead men don't tell tales _ or so they say. But for US-based mummy researchers Ron Beckett and Jerry Conlogue, a well-preserved corpse can tell plenty of anecdotes.
Conlogue is an expert in palaeo-imaging _
an ``X-ray man'', as he describes himself. Beckett, a professor
of cardiopulmonary science, is also a specialist in endoscopy.
They teach at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut,
and have carried out extensive research on mummies around
the world to unlock the mysteries of the past.
The images from Conlogue's X-ray machine and Beckett's endoscope
reveal information that helps explain causes of death, age,
gender, diseases and injuries the individual suffered during
his or her lifetime as well as details about cultural practices
such as funeral rites. Over the years the pair have learned
much about how mummification procedures differ from country
to country.
The ancient Egyptians carried out meticulous preparation of
corpses; the extreme dryness of the sand in Peru's Ilo Valley
naturally mummified bodies interred there; the arsenic consumed
by a lady in Nashville, Tennessee, to end her life achieved
a similar effect.
The two scientists made a trip to Thailand last year to investigate
an unusual claim: that mummification can be induced via meditation.
In carrying out research for the National Geographic Channel's
The Mummy Road Show _ this series will premiere on UBC 42
tomorrow, with the monk's episode scheduled for telecast on
Wednesday _ Beckett and Conlogue came to Thailand last August
to shed some light on the case of a monk who died on Koh Samui
almost 29 years ago and whose remains have, inexplicably,
not deteriorated. Local people believe that Phra Khru Samathakittikhun
_ whom they call Luang Pho Daeng Piyasilo _ used meditation
to ensure his body would not decompose after death.
 |
| ...``cowboy
Sylvester'' and a friend (Seattle)..... |
The researchers were stunned when they first
laid eyes on the corpse, arranged in an upright casket in
a typical sitting-meditation pose _ and wearing sunglasses.
``His body is dry and there's no indication of any preservation
[techniques being used],'' said Beckett during a
recent return visit to Koh Samui to promote the National Geographic
series.
``It's amazing how his body has remained intact in such a
hot and humid climate. He's the youngest [most recently
deceased] mummy in our study,'' added Conlogue.
The pair know of the existence in Thailand of 11 or 12 mummified
monks. The remains of Luang Pho Daeng are housed in the compound
of Wat Khunaram and senior monks there kindly agreed to let
the Americans carry out some research into this respected
former member of their community.
Before commencing their investigation, the two asked for forgiveness
from Luang Pho Daeng by carrying out a grab (triple prostration).
They originally planned to merely X-ray the body through the
glass lid of its casket but then senior monks at the temple
unscrewed the lid, for the first time in almost 29 years,
to allow the scientists to inspect it more closely.
``The research does no harm to Luang Pho's body,'' said Phra
Khru Prachoti Thammaraks, a senior monk at the temple. ``People
want proof and they can get it from scientific study.''
 |
| ...``cowboy
Sylvester'' and a friend (Seattle)... |
``We respect an individual under study in
the same way we'd treat a live patient,'' Beckett volunteered.
The body of Luang Pho Daeng was not moved and no tissues was
extracted from it. The first surprises were disclosed by the
developed X-ray film: the internal organs _ heart, lungs,
liver and intestines _ were still intact. ``The intestine
is the first to be attacked by bacteria,'' explained Conlogue.
``The organs usually shrink a lot after an individual dies.
But here they have not shrunk very much.''
Since no autopsy or tissue sampling could be carried out to
provide them with more evidence, the best explanation the
pair could come up with for the mummification of Luang Pho
Daeng was dehydration. They said they tend to agree with local
people that this drying-out process was carried out during
deep meditation.
``The monk was known to be able to meditate without food and
water intake for periods of 15 days. His body was dehydrated
and his muscles gradually shrank each time he meditated,''
said Beckett.
While Buddhist meditation practice seemed to provide a solution
to the mystery, the two scientists, in an attempt to understand
a little more about how meditation works, asked an expert
monk to give them a little instruction. Although the session
they had was brief, both said they felt very peaceful afterwards.
Back in the US, they discussed the case with friends. One
specialist theorised that Luang Pho Daeng may, at some point,
have drunk a glass of brine which helped advance the dehydration
of his body and kill bacteria.
 |
| ......and
one of the exhibits at Museo de las Momias in Guanajuato,
Mexico. Pictures courtesy of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
|
But what about the phenomenon noted by locals;
the continued growth of the monk's fingernails after death?
``When people die,'' Conlogue explained, ``their muscles start
to shrink. And this makes the nails seem as if they're growing.''
While Conlogue conceded that he and Beckett have no material
evidence to prove the self-dehydration theory, he said this
was not strictly necessary. ``The hard evidence is shown in
the X-rays. It's very objective and hard to deny.''
Conlogue's expertise in this field has been built up over
a period of 10 years. When he described to his colleague Beckett
the difficulties he'd been having in thoroughly analysing
bones and artefacts solely from radiographs, Beckett realised
that an endoscope could see things and go places that X-rays
alone could not. And thus a fruitful collaboration was born.
While other researchers need to wait until the subject of
their study arrives at the lab, Beckett and Conlogue bring
their equipment to the site. This flexibility and mobility
means that they can rapidly answer calls for their services
and travel all over the US and to overseas locations.
Why are mummies found in radically different cultures in places
far apart?
``One purpose of mummification,'' Conlogue explained, ``is
to keep a connection between the living and the person who
has died. Some don't want to let him go. So they keep him
around in mummy form.
``Mummies are fascinating,'' he continued, ``because they
allow you to look at death but then you can walk away when
you've had enough.''
Another aspect that interests him is the clues that can be
found to the methods our ancestors used to treat diseases.
``It's important. The patterns of tuberculosis and pneumonia
we found in mummies are the same as ones we see today. People
who lived over 1,000 years ago were very smart. They understood
many more things than we give them credit for. We discovered
that they used herbs as medicine. If we can find out exactly
what herbs they used back then _ some of which we've forgotten
about _ we may be able to start using them again too.''
Each of the 13 parts of the The Mummy Road
Show covers a case from a different part of the world. In
an episode filmed in Mexico called ``Muchas Mummies'', the
research team investigates nearly a hundred mummies displayed
at a museum. One of the exhibits, a mummified woman, was found
to have been buried alive. At that time the locals had a great
fear of this happening so a bell was traditionally hung in
the coffin so that if the ``deceased'' hadn't really died
he/she could ring the bell to call for help. The scientists
found that this woman had been suffering from heart disease
and was in a deep coma when interred. If she did come to,
later, and ring the bell obviously nobody heard it.
At the same museum, the pair also found a mummified foetus,
the smallest specimen they've ever come across.
In ```Tales from an Italian Crypt'', shot in Popoli, Italy,
Beckett and Conlogue describe how they found an enormous kidney
stone in a mummy after subjecting it to a CT scan. This suggests,
they say, that the man in question must have suffered excruciating
pain.
Fanciful, perhaps, but many people imagine that horrible curses
befall those who disturb the last resting place of mummified
bodies. During the course of their research have Conlogue
and Beckett ever had nightmares?
``No, we've never had bad dreams or encountered
any horrific incidents,'' they answered in chorus.
``Live people scare me more,'' Conlogue quipped.
On a more serious note, however, he confided that working
with the dead has taught him to spend his life in the most
fruitful way possible.
``Dealing with the dead every day makes you realise how short
and fragile life is. It's terrible to waste it.''
• Story originally published by:
Bangkok Post / Thailand | Nilubol Pornpitagpan - May 18.02
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