12 mysterious mummies revealed next to famous French castle

The mummies were found in a crypt on the grounds of the Château des Milandes, dating from the 16th-17th century.

According to Heritage Daily, the new discovery of the mummies at Château des Milandes has caused surprise because this is the first time a similar form of ritual in ancient Egyptian culture has been identified in 16th-17th century Europe.

Château des Milandes, meaning Castle of Milandes, is a manor house consisting of a castle of elegant and modern architecture at the time it was built - around 1489 - in the commune of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, in the Dordogne department, France.

The manor housed the lords of the area and also included a chapel and several other outbuildings.

The central structure of the Milandes castle manor is a much more modern castle than the medieval castles in the area - (Photo: MILANDES).

Now, an excavation led by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) has discovered the mummies of seven adults and five children buried in a crypt inside the manor.

In addition to these 12 people, there were also the remains of a woman buried separately, showing signs of having her organs removed for embalming but apparently unsuccessful.

They all belonged to the Caumont family, prominent figures in their time.

The archaeological team carefully examined the mummies and surrounding artifacts and found that their bodies were treated with meticulous, high-standard techniques.

The age difference between the remains suggests it was a secret that had been passed down for more than two centuries.

They also reconstructed the remains to closely investigate the embalming method and found a skin removal technique similar to methods described by the famous French surgeon Pierre Dionis in 1708.

It was the same technique used in an 18th century autopsy in Marseille.

Archaeologists are not sure why these people chose to be mummified upon death, but it was clearly a deeply ingrained tradition in this noble family that highlighted their high social status.

The main purpose of embalming was probably not long-term preservation but to serve an elaborate funeral.