Japanese scientists have begun investigating the mysterious “mermaid mummy,” which has long been the subject of worship at temples in Okayama Prefecture.
A team of researchers at Kurashiki University of Science and Technology are scientifically analyzing the remains of a mummified mysterious icon to find out what it actually consists of.
About a foot tall, the “Mermaid Mummy” is named because its upper body looks like a human and its lower body looks like a fish’s tail.
The 300-year-old mummy, who has retained her nails, teeth and hair for years, also retains the eerie look of a screaming child.
On February 2, Mitsuzen Kuda, the chief priest of Enjuin in Asakuchi City, took out the relics from the wooden box stored in the school’s veterinary hospital and examined them.
“We worshiped it in the hope that it would help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic,” the chief priest quoted. Asahi Shimbun As you say. “I hope the research project can keep a (scientific) record for future generations.”
According to Mr. Hisada, the mummy was released about 40 years ago, but recently it is stored in a fireproof safe and does not deteriorate.
The memo in the box states that a mysterious creature was caught by a fishing net on the coast of Tosa Province (now Kochi Prefecture) from 1736 to 1741. It was acquired by the Enjuin Temple during the Meiji era (1868-1912).
The ruins are studied from various academic points of view. Hiroshi Kinoshita, 54, of the Okayama Folklore Society will study mummies from the perspective of folklore, and Takafumi Kato, a 54-year-old professor of paleontology, will analyze the morphology of the upper body. Artif. On the other hand, an associate professor specializing in ichthyology studies the lower body like a fish, and an associate professor specializing in molecular biology performs DNA analysis.
Researchers will announce their findings this fall.
Featured image via Mermaid mummy, scientific analysis
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