Bodies are constantly being mummified in this Colombian city, and no one knows why

The reason for these spontaneous mummifications remains unclear.

In the small, mountainous Colombian town of San Bernardo, an unusual discovery has baffled residents and scientists. It is a common occurrence in the municipal cemetery: the deceased continue to mummify without preservatives, and their clothes, hair and even eyes often remain intact. This mysterious discovery, which initially seemed like an isolated incident, has puzzled the people of San Bernardo for decades. Despite many attempts to solve the mystery, the exact cause remains hidden. “People were a little in disbelief about what was happening,” said Rocio Vergara, a guide at the city cemetery’s mummy museum Scientific alert.

According to the medium, the petrified bodies of people born around the last century were first exhumed from the Alpine Villages Cemetery in the 1950s after it was relocated due to flooding. In the late 1980s, San Bernardo Municipal Cemetery officials began removing bodies from previous decades from the crypts to make room for new burials. Residents were reportedly digging up to 50 specimens per year at one point, although this was down to about five per year.

Around a dozen of the best-preserved specimens are now on display for all to see in the José Arquimedes Castro Mausoleum. Some of the corpses appear to be so decay-proof that even their most ephemeral features, such as eyes, clothing and hair, remain intact.

“She still has her little brown face, round, her braids, her hair,” said Clovisnerys Bejarano, 63, as she described her mother, who died 30 years ago and is on display at the preservation society. The deceased is reportedly still wearing the same dress in which she was buried New York Post.

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Accordingly Scientific alertThe reason for these spontaneous mummifications remains unclear, but numerous theories have been put forward. Some attribute it to divine intervention and view it as a reward or punishment from God. Others suggest the city’s healthy lifestyle and temperate climate play a role. However, these theories remain suspect since the clothes on the corpses are also in perfect condition.

Some experts believe the mummifications have to do with the bodies’ burial location in dry, above-ground vaults, which they say could act as a natural embalming agent. “The wind blows constantly because it is hot. One can assume that the vaults function like an oven… they dehydrate,” said Daniela Betancourt, an anthropologist at the National University of Colombia. But there are no studies yet on “which specific diseases cause people to mummify,” she said.