Finnish noblewoman discovered 'gave birth' in her coffin after she died

07/14/2021 14:10

• Clarín.com

• International

Updated 7/14/2021 2:10 PM

The discovery took place in the town of

Vihti

, in southern Finland, when a group of archaeologists from the University of Oulu, led by archaeologist Tiina Väre, was investigating a

private chapel

and a

4 x 4 meter

burial chamber

that were found below it.

The chapel, which was built in 1785, was the

site of

local

burials

from that year until 1829. During the investigation, experts found eight coffins and the remains of a possible ninth, explains an article in the International Journal of Osteoarcheology.

The find

Upon opening them, in the tombs they discovered the remains - some of them were mummified - of three men, an old woman, three adult women and a young woman, reports the

RT

site

.

The chapel where they made the find is located in Vihti, in southern Finland.

Photo: International Journal of Osteoarcheology

The surprise came when in the

pelvic cavity

of one of the adult women, scientists found the

skull of a fetus protruding from the birth canal

.

The archaeologists interpreted the finding as a case of

"partial fetal extrusion 'post mortem'

, since the process was probably interrupted by the decelerated decomposition of the maternal remains before the complete expulsion of the fetus", indicates the abstract of the study.

The researchers concluded that the mother had died during the

first trimester of pregnancy

, from the "underdeveloped state of the fetal remains," the site highlights.

The detail of the burial chamber.

Photo: International Journal of Osteoarcheology

According to church records, the mother was named

Charlotta Björnram

and she died on October 23, 1808 at the

age of 24

.

According to the same documents analyzed, the cause of the woman's death was inflammation.

Experts believe that the posthumous extrusion of the fetus occurred a

few days after the woman's death

, and was caused by the decomposition of her body and the effects of gases generated in the abdominal cavity.

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