Green Mummy Mystery Solved As Scientists Reveal Secret Behind Its Unique Colour

The case of the green mummy, which intrigued scientists for decades, has finally been solved. A teenager buried in Italy hundreds of years ago was discovered with a distinctive emerald sheen, a colouration rarely seen on human remains.

Annamaria Alabiso, a conservation scientist at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, told the New Scientist that the discovery "completely changes our point of view on the role of heavy metals, as their effects on preservation are more complex than we might expect."

"The skeleton was almost complete, except for both missing feet. As for the container, the report states that it was made of copper or a copper alloy and was broken near the base," the authors of the study, published in Journal of Cultural Heritage, said.

Photo Credit: Alabiso et al/Journal of Cultural Heritage

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The researchers revealed that the unusual colouring happened because the body was being preserved in a copper box. The mummified remains of a 12-14-year-old boy were discovered in the basement of an ancient villa in Bologna, northern Italy, in 1987. The body was buried in a copper box, which helped preserve hard and soft tissues due to the metal's antimicrobial properties.

The copper reacted with acids released by the body over time, forming corrosion products that interacted with chemical compounds in the bone, resulting in the green colour.

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The copper ions replaced calcium in the skeleton, solidifying the bone structure. The process gave the affected areas various shades of green.

The preserved skin was covered by a pale green coating, known as patina, which commonly develops on copper and bronze statues. This unique combination of environmental factors contributed to the mummification process and the distinctive colour.

The researchers believe that the bottom of the copper box cracked open, letting liquid spill out, and the body stayed in a cool, dry chamber with little oxygen, boosting the preservative effects.