Malaria was common in Renaissance Italy. The disease was known as “Febbre terzana” at the time as an onset of the fever occurred in intervals of two to three days.  A research team led by Eurac Research has now microscopically detected the parasite *Plasmodium falciparum*, the causative agent of the dangerous malaria tropica in soft tissue from embalming vessels found at the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence.

The pathogen of the deadliest form of the disease has been identified in mummified soft tissue belonging to members of the Florentine dynasty.

 Malaria in the Medici era

Paleopathologist Albert Zink reconstructs the co-evolution of humankind and our illnesses. In this conversation, he explains how he disentangles traces of messy ancient DNA and then puts them all back together. And why an unhealthy lifestyle isn’t the primary cause of clogged blood vessels.

Paleopathologist Albert Zink explains how to untangle the chaos of ancient genetic traces and why blood vessel calcification is not just due to a bad lifestyle.

What Ancient DNA Reveals About Modern Diseases


The well-preserved female mummy was found in 1975 during construction work in Basel's Barfüsserkirche. Since 2018, thanks to interdisciplinary cooperation under the direction of the Natural History Museum Basel, it is known that the woman Anna Catharina Bischoff, was a pastor's widow who died in 1787. At first it was suspected that she had suffered from syphilis, but now a research team has discovered an unknown pathogen in tissue samples. 

A research team can clarify which disease “the lady from the Barfüsserkirche” suffered from.

Mystery of the Basel mummy solved

In 1975, a female mummy interred in the Barfüsserkirche in Basel, Switzerland was found.  Her identity had for decades been a mystery until recently, with the help of genetic analyses, a research team from Eurac Research contributed decisively to unveiling her story. Who the lady was has now been revealed and, so have some further mysteries. 

A well-preserved church mummy from the 18th century has proven to be a fascinating object of research in many respects

The secrets of a lady from Basel

In this interview, Physician Jochen Weber and Paleogeneticist Albert Zink explain what ancient bone finds reveal about early disease patterns and the benefits modern medicine can derive from this bioarcheological record.

An interview with the authors of the first German textbook on "Osteological Paleopathology".

Old bones - new knowledge

Cosa ci faceva nel 4.500 a.C. una marmotta sul versante orientale del Lyskamm, nel massiccio del Monte Rosa, a oltre 4.000 metri di quota? Oggi siamo abituati ad avvistare marmotte a quote molto inferiori, ma migliaia di anni fa la distribuzione delle specie viventi poteva essere diversa da come è oggi.

Una marmotta mummificata del Neolitico è approdata nei nostri laboratori 

6.600 anni portati bene

And though this question will remain unanswered, mummy researcher Albert Zink has already elicited many other secrets from the Iceman. Considering that the melting glaciers will probably uncover even more finds in the future, the idea of preparing for excavations at icy heights in the terraXcube is a promising one for him: the extreme climate simulator can reproduce any climatic condition in the world. It’s director Christian Steurer thinks this is realistic: mountain rescuers are already training in the terraXcube so they are able to operate in extreme weather. 

Conversations between disciplines: interview with mummy researcher Albert Zink and telecommunications engineer Christian Steurer.

"Maybe Ötzi was a mean guy?"

Long dead yet still communicating. Project MUMBO is a multidisciplinary study that crosses continents and provides the first ever in-depth bioarcheological analysis of pre-Columbian mummies from Bolivia. 

Examining Bolivia's diverse bioarcheological record

New technology for Bolivia's ancient mummies

For more than a year, a team of anthropology, Egyptology, diagnostics, restoration and conservation experts have been working closely together to return two unique Egyptian mummies, witnesses to a history thousands of years old to the public and the scientific community. A new exhibition now showcases these unique findings -the mummy with the painted shroud and the mummy of a child with three tunics.

The photographic history of their recovery, study and conservation treatment

Unwrapping the stories of two Egyptian mummies

An inter-institutional cooperation agreement between the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Bolzano, Italy and the Plurinational State of Bolivia’s Ministry of Cultures, Decolonization and Despatriarchalization has just been signed to establish reciprocal technical assistance for the research and conservation of the Bolivian cultural heritage. In addition, the Institute of Mummies developed, constructed, and donated 10 long-term conservation chambers to safeguard the mummified remains of pre-Columbian individuals housed at MUNARQ - the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz.

Unique collaboration between Eurac Research and Bolivian Ministry of Culture to ensure the ongoing research agreement

Groundbreaking study of pre-Columbian mummies in Bolivia underway

**Recent studies demonstrate the potential to recover ancient human DNA and nuclear DNA from cave sediments. However, the source of such sedimentary ancient DNA is still under discussion. Here we report the case of a Bronze Age human skeleton, found in a limestone cave, which was covered with layers of calcite stone deposits.**

From Egypt to Italy via Germany, Mohamed Sarhan’s investigation of plant and soil microbes could change the practice of bioarcheology as we know it.

Ancient Imprints

A study on 20 ancient human skeletal remains from Trentino-South Tyrol, Italy reveals new insights into the diversity of human oral microbiome. 


Newly published study on ancient skeletal remains reveals previously unknown species of microorganisms. 

Methanobreviwhat? 

Un team di ricerca ha esaminato antichi campioni di placca da resti scheletrici rinvenuti in Alto Adige e in Trentino e scoperto specie di microrganismi finora sconosciute.

Ricerca sulle mummie

Dalla placca dentale nuove informazioni sull’evoluzione del microbiota orale

As an archaeogeneticist, Johannes Krause examines ancient DNA from archaeological finds and compares it with genomes from modern times. From this, conclusions can be drawn not only about the evolution of mankind, but also about the pathogens that have always affected us. Here he shares his findings on Ötzi's ancestors and present-day relatives, the plague as a bioweapon, and the benefits of his research for modern medicine.

An interview with the archaeogeneticist Johannes Krause

"We are creating the family tree of human history."

30 years after his discovery, many secrets about the Iceman have been solved, but thanks to new medical and molecular biological technologies, Ötzi and other mummified remains may soon help us better understand pathogens and their evolution. 

Ötzi & Co.

Since his discovery in 1991, Ötzi the Iceman has provided a trove of information about the life of Europeans at that time. His long-frozen remains have yielded information on diet, migration, disease and ancient DNA. 
Permanently housed at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, the mummy’s remains are stored in a specially devised cold cell and only viewable through a small window. Here we take a rare and up close look at Europe's oldest known natural human mummy.

Frozen but not forgotten, exceptional images of the 5,300 year-old Iceman brought to light in a new project and book

Ötzi's ink 

A tre decenni dal suo ritrovamento, molti segreti sull’Uomo venuto dal ghiaccio sono stati risolti: ora sappiamo come e dove visse, come morì, quale fu il suo ultimo pasto, quali malattie e quali parassiti lo tormentavano. Ma gli stimoli per ricerche da condurre nei prossimi anni non mancano. 

30 anni dal ritrovamento: bilanci e prospettive

Ötzi terrà impegnato ancora a lungo il mondo della ricerca

Fresh or dried game meat from ibex and red deer, einkorn wheat and traces of toxic bracken: these were the ingredients of the Iceman’s last meal. In an international study, led by researchers at the Eurac Research centre based in Bozen-Bolzano, scientists have examined the stomach contents of the glacier mummy for DNA, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Thanks to their findings, they were able for the first time to reconstruct what constituted a meal in the Copper Age. The results of this study were recently published in the renowned scientific journal “Current Biology”.

Mummy researchers from Eurac Research have analysed the stomach contents of the glacier mummy and reveal new insights into nutrition and food preparation from 5,300 years ago.

The Iceman’s last meal contained a remarkably high fat content

Which microbes lived on and in Ötzi? What did the intestinal flora of our ancestors look like and which pathogens afflicted them? How has bacterial colonization changed over time? Thanks to technological advancements, mummy researchers are now able to investigate such questions. Today’s microbiome research on millennia-old test subjects not only provides new insights into the development of the human species - modern medicine also benefits from it.

An interview with Albert Zink, Head of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research.

Ötzi and his ‘tenants’ 

We talk about beauty and inspiration with Christian Greco, director of the oldest museum in the world dedicated entirely to Egyptian civilization, invited to Bolzano for a conference. 


Interview with Christian Greco, director of the Egyptian Museum of Turin

Ancient Egypt, high fashion and a bunch of beauty

Trillions of microorganisms live on and in humans, most of them in the gut. But our lifestyles are causing the diversity of this bacterial population to shrink dramatically - with far-reaching consequences to our health. Scientists around the world are doing research to better understand the microbiome. And the mummy experts from Eurac Research are also providing an important contribution.

The more modern our lifestyles, the fewer species live in our gut

A gut feeling – how intestinal flora is changing with the times

Contact

News & Events

Scientific Output

Events

News

Institute's Projects

view all

Projects

Project

Research Group Projects

Related Projects

The integration of external content (e.g. Youtube videos via iframes) requires your consent.

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off.

Magazine

mummiesall tags

article

article

Malaria in the Medici eraself.__wrap_b(":R156k3aejlm:",1)

The pathogen of the deadliest form of the disease has been identified in mummified soft tissue belonging to members of the Florentine dynasty.self.__wrap_b(":R176k3aejlm:",1)

interview

interview

What Ancient DNA Reveals About Modern Diseasesself.__wrap_b(":R156k5aejlm:",1)

Paleopathologist Albert Zink explains how to untangle the chaos of ancient genetic traces and why blood vessel calcification is not just due to a bad lifestyle.self.__wrap_b(":R176k5aejlm:",1)

article

article

Mystery of the Basel mummy solvedself.__wrap_b(":R156k7aejlm:",1)

A research team can clarify which disease “the lady from the Barfüsserkirche” suffered from.self.__wrap_b(":R176k7aejlm:",1)

article

article

The secrets of a lady from Baselself.__wrap_b(":R156k9aejlm:",1)

A well-preserved church mummy from the 18th century has proven to be a fascinating object of research in many respectsself.__wrap_b(":R176k9aejlm:",1)

interview

interview

Old bones - new knowledgeself.__wrap_b(":R156kbaejlm:",1)

An interview with the authors of the first German textbook on "Osteological Paleopathology".self.__wrap_b(":R176kbaejlm:",1)

photostory

photostory

6.600 anni portati beneself.__wrap_b(":R156kdaejlm:",1)

Una marmotta mummificata del Neolitico è approdata nei nostri laboratoriself.__wrap_b(":R176kdaejlm:",1)

interview

interview

"Maybe Ötzi was a mean guy?"self.__wrap_b(":R156kfaejlm:",1)

Conversations between disciplines: interview with mummy researcher Albert Zink and telecommunications engineer Christian Steurer.self.__wrap_b(":R176kfaejlm:",1)

article

article

New technology for Bolivia's ancient mummiesself.__wrap_b(":R156khaejlm:",1)

Examining Bolivia's diverse bioarcheological recordself.__wrap_b(":R176khaejlm:",1)

photostory

photostory

Unwrapping the stories of two Egyptian mummiesself.__wrap_b(":R156kjaejlm:",1)

The photographic history of their recovery, study and conservation treatmentself.__wrap_b(":R176kjaejlm:",1)

news

news

Groundbreaking study of pre-Columbian mummies in Bolivia underwayself.__wrap_b(":R156klaejlm:",1)

Unique collaboration between Eurac Research and Bolivian Ministry of Culture to ensure the ongoing research agreementself.__wrap_b(":R176klaejlm:",1)

interview

interview

Ancient Imprintsself.__wrap_b(":R156knaejlm:",1)

From Egypt to Italy via Germany, Mohamed Sarhan’s investigation of plant and soil microbes could change the practice of bioarcheology as we know it.self.__wrap_b(":R176knaejlm:",1)

feature

feature

Methanobreviwhat?self.__wrap_b(":R156kpaejlm:",1)

Newly published study on ancient skeletal remains reveals previously unknown species of microorganisms.self.__wrap_b(":R176kpaejlm:",1)

article

article

Dalla placca dentale nuove informazioni sull’evoluzione del microbiota oraleself.__wrap_b(":R156kraejlm:",1)

Ricerca sulle mummieself.__wrap_b(":R176kraejlm:",1)

interview

interview

"We are creating the family tree of human history."self.__wrap_b(":R156ktaejlm:",1)

An interview with the archaeogeneticist Johannes Krauseself.__wrap_b(":R176ktaejlm:",1)

Topic

Topic

Ötzi & Co.self.__wrap_b(":R1akvaejlm:",1)

30 years after his discovery, many secrets about the Iceman have been solved, but thanks to new medical and molecular biological technologies, Ötzi and other mummified remains may soon help us better understand pathogens and their evolution. self.__wrap_b(":R1ekvaejlm:",1)

feature

feature

Ötzi's inkself.__wrap_b(":R156l1aejlm:",1)

Frozen but not forgotten, exceptional images of the 5,300 year-old Iceman brought to light in a new project and bookself.__wrap_b(":R176l1aejlm:",1)

article

Ötzi terrà impegnato ancora a lungo il mondo della ricercaself.__wrap_b(":R156l3aejlm:",1)

30 anni dal ritrovamento: bilanci e prospettiveself.__wrap_b(":R176l3aejlm:",1)

article

article

The Iceman’s last meal contained a remarkably high fat contentself.__wrap_b(":R156l5aejlm:",1)

Mummy researchers from Eurac Research have analysed the stomach contents of the glacier mummy and reveal new insights into nutrition and food preparation from 5,300 years ago.self.__wrap_b(":R176l5aejlm:",1)

interview

interview

Ötzi and his ‘tenants’self.__wrap_b(":R156l7aejlm:",1)

An interview with Albert Zink, Head of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research.self.__wrap_b(":R176l7aejlm:",1)

interview

interview

Ancient Egypt, high fashion and a bunch of beautyself.__wrap_b(":R156l9aejlm:",1)

mummies
all tags

Malaria in the Medici era

The pathogen of the deadliest form of the disease has been identified in mummified soft tissue belonging to members of the Florentine dynasty.

What Ancient DNA Reveals About Modern Diseases

Paleopathologist Albert Zink explains how to untangle the chaos of ancient genetic traces and why blood vessel calcification is not just due to a bad lifestyle.

Mystery of the Basel mummy solved

A research team can clarify which disease “the lady from the Barfüsserkirche” suffered from.

The secrets of a lady from Basel

A well-preserved church mummy from the 18th century has proven to be a fascinating object of research in many respects

Old bones - new knowledge

An interview with the authors of the first German textbook on "Osteological Paleopathology".

6.600 anni portati bene

Una marmotta mummificata del Neolitico è approdata nei nostri laboratori

"Maybe Ötzi was a mean guy?"

Conversations between disciplines: interview with mummy researcher Albert Zink and telecommunications engineer Christian Steurer.

New technology for Bolivia's ancient mummies

Examining Bolivia's diverse bioarcheological record

Unwrapping the stories of two Egyptian mummies

The photographic history of their recovery, study and conservation treatment

Groundbreaking study of pre-Columbian mummies in Bolivia underway

Unique collaboration between Eurac Research and Bolivian Ministry of Culture to ensure the ongoing research agreement

Ancient Imprints

From Egypt to Italy via Germany, Mohamed Sarhan’s investigation of plant and soil microbes could change the practice of bioarcheology as we know it.

Methanobreviwhat?

Newly published study on ancient skeletal remains reveals previously unknown species of microorganisms.

Dalla placca dentale nuove informazioni sull’evoluzione del microbiota orale

Ricerca sulle mummie

"We are creating the family tree of human history."

An interview with the archaeogeneticist Johannes Krause

Ötzi & Co.

30 years after his discovery, many secrets about the Iceman have been solved, but thanks to new medical and molecular biological technologies, Ötzi and other mummified remains may soon help us better understand pathogens and their evolution.

Ötzi's ink

Frozen but not forgotten, exceptional images of the 5,300 year-old Iceman brought to light in a new project and book

Ötzi terrà impegnato ancora a lungo il mondo della ricerca

30 anni dal ritrovamento: bilanci e prospettive

The Iceman’s last meal contained a remarkably high fat content

Mummy researchers from Eurac Research have analysed the stomach contents of the glacier mummy and reveal new insights into nutrition and food preparation from 5,300 years ago.

Ötzi and his ‘tenants’

An interview with Albert Zink, Head of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research.

Ancient Egypt, high fashion and a bunch of beauty

Interview with Christian Greco, director of the Egyptian Museum of Turin

A gut feeling – how intestinal flora is changing with the times

The more modern our lifestyles, the fewer species live in our gut