His body had now shrunk to only 33 pounds, or about 15 kg.
But curiously, it hadnt decomposed.
All the bodies had undergone spontaneous mummification a short time after they were buried.
Their skins have turned yellow-brown and look like tanned leather.
The brain is one-third of its volume.
Inan articlepublished in 1906, writer F. Savorgnan de Brazza discusses several hypothesis regarding the cause of the mummification.
TheHypha tombicina, Brazza wrote, is very eager for moisture.
It absorbs it by means of the microscopic suckers that serve it as roots.
It develops and multiplies with great rapidity and dries the body before they can enter into decomposition.
Attempts to cultivate this species ofHypha, however, Brazza laments, have been without success.
At the time of de Brazzas writing, the number of mummies in Venzone was numbered at 42.
An earthquake in the area in 1976 has since reduced the number to only 15.
For now, the fungus-theory is little more than speculation.
Venzone mummies continue to intrigue scientists and tourists who visit this site in great numbers.
Photo credit:Joadl/Wikimedia
Photo credit:Jean-Marc Pascolo/Wikimedia
