Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The embalming of John of Lancaster, first Duke of Bedford (1435 AD): A forensic analysis

2015; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 56; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1177/0025802415587318

2042-1818

Philippe Charlier, Joël Poupon, GF Jeannel, Dominique Favier, SM Popescu, A. Augias, Isabelle Huynh‐Charlier, Laëtitia Laquay, Omar Boudouma, Caroline Dorion-Peyronnet,

Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, embalming the cadaver of the elite was common practice, being a highly technical treatment mixing vegetal and mineral substances. To assess the exact kind of embalming reserved for the dead body (with the practical necessities of desiccation and good odour), we performed a full biomedical analysis of the mummified remains of John Plantagenet of Lancaster, first Duke of Bedford, regent of France for his nephew, the English King Henri VI (died 1435 AD). Here, we show, among other aspects, that the body was embalmed using substances whose origins were in apothecary and botany: mercury, myrtle, mint, frankincense, lime and, possibly, cinnamon and copper.