Almost 350 years after Bishop Peder Winstrup was put to rest in 17th-century Sweden, scientists discovered something shocking: He wasn’t buried alone.
Winstrup, who lived from 1605–1679, is described as a “Renaissance man” having held many titles — scientist, architect, book printing owner, and natural science experimenter. This new discovery, however, raises many more questions.
The scientists at Lund University in Sweden were simply looking to gain knowledge about Winstrup’s life and the way he was preserved. While a CT scan found that the Bishop had many medical issues, it also exposed a premature baby under his feet.
“He has a companion, a small child, a five- to six-months-old fetus of a human child, and it has been deliberately concealed under his feet at the bottom of the coffin — so maybe there is a connection between Winstrup and this child,” said Per Karsten, director of the historical museum at Lund University.
While mummified bodies have been found before — like the ones on Mexico’s highest peak — this one really makes historians wonder. Karsten, for example, believes the Bishop’s staff intentionally concealed the tiny baby. There’s a possibility the fetus was an illegitimate child.
Scientists plan to do more tests to see if the two were in fact related, but in the meantime, watch the ghoulish video below.
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