Two Mummified Bodies Discovered In Cave

RIGGS

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/24/2012 at 15:43:33

Maquoketa Excelsior-Record, July 18, 1916

TWO MUMMIFIED BODIES DISCOVERED IN CAVE

The discovery of the mummified bodies of an Indian mother and her little papoose at Burt's Caves created excitement enough to last this community for a long while.

Two miners from Illinois were testing the walls of the many caverns at Burt's Caves looking for minerals and cut through a wall to find another room. There in the passageway were the mummified bodies of an Indian woman with her hands folded over her breast and her little papoose by her side. The long black hair of the two was in perfect condition, while the mother's teeth looked like a fine white row of ivory and all were in good condition. The body seemed to be somewhat shrunken, but held its entire shape and appeared as of a rubbery nature. The miners got in connection with County Coroner Riggs, who refused to have anything to do with the matter, stating it was not under his jurisdiction and that in all probability the bodies had been there for ages. Sunday the men removed the bodies from this locality. No one seems to know where they were taken.

Upon examination of the part of the caves in which the bodies were found, it appears that the mother and child had retreated to this little passageway or had been placed there; that a large oblong stone, perhaps two or three feet wide by four or five feet long had been loosened either by human hands or by the elements in the roof above and had dropped into place, completely sealing the passageway and making it almost if not entirely air tight, thus making it possible for the bodies to become mummified as these truly were.

Whether or not this woman had been placed there by her people and sealed up as a punishment, one will never know, or whether this rock dropped accidentally while they were in there. There was one thing that might indicate they were alive when they went or were taken to this spot. Across one of the woman's forearms was a long gash, looking as if she had taken a sharp stone and cut through the flesh completely, severing the artery in the arm. If this was the reason for the cut, medical authorities tell us with all of the blood out of the body it would be much more susceptible to mummification, especially if confined to this air tight chamber or passageway.

Maquoketa Caves
 

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