A Systematic Approach to the Application of Soft Tissue Histopathology in Paleopathology

Figure 3

(a) A natural mummy from a German crypt of AD 1851 (14, 163 yrs.). The soft tissue is in a very well conservation status with fat cell residues and a small arteriolar blood vessel (center). (b) Lung tissue from mummy 14 with collapse of the air spaces, abundant anthracosis pigment, and small residues of a proteinaceous exudate (obviously remnants of a lung edema). (c) The artificially mummified infant 17 (198 yrs.) shows extremely well-preserved tissue structures of the lung, again with extensive residues of a (terminal) pulmonary edema. Here, the artificial conservation even has retained cell structures! (d) A section of kidney tissue from mummy 17 again with excellently preserved tissue structures as visible from glomeruli and residues of tubuli (original magnification ×200; ((a)–(d)) H&E).

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