Temperature and Humidity in the Base-floors of Three Northern Finnish Churches Containing 17th–19th-century Burials

• Authors: Tiina Väre , Annemari Tranberg , Sanna Lipkin , Titta Kallio-Seppä , Lauri Väre , Juho-Antti Junno , Sirpa Niinimäki , Nora Nurminen , Anniina Kuha

Title variants

Temperatura i wilgotność w podziemiach trzech kościołów na północy Finlandii, zawierających pochówki z okresu od XVII do XIX w.

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Natural mummification occurs in various favorable conditions. Cold environments have produced mummified human remains in northern Finland. These remains buried under the church floors mummified naturally probably through a process resembling freeze-drying. This chapter explores the conditions that led to the mummification of dozens and potentially hundreds of human remains. To conduct our study, we installed logging temperature and humidity measuring devices under the floors of three churches located by the shore of Bothnian Bay in northern Finland. Even our preliminary results show that the humidity and temperature conditions differ between these churches. It is also clear that relative humidity remains very high under the floors of each church. It appears that mummification has occurred in almost “cellar like” conditions. The preservation process was probably aided by the loose laid constructions allowing the air to freely move in the graves carrying the moisture from the remains.

PL

Do mumifikacji naturalnej dochodzi pod wpływem różnego rodzaju korzystnych warunków. W północnej Finlandii szczątki zostały zmumifikowane w chłodnym środowisku. Szczątki te, pochowane pod posadzką kościołów, zostały naturalnie zmumifikowane prawdopodobnie w procesie przypominającym liofilizację. Niniejszy tekst analizuje warunki, które doprowadziły do mumifikacji dziesiątek, a być może setek szczątków ludzkich. Na potrzeby badania pod posadzkami trzech kościołów na wybrzeżu Zatoki Botnickiej w północnej Finlandii zainstalowaliśmy urządzenia pomiarowe rejestrujące temperaturę i wilgotność. Już wstępne wyniki naszych badań wskazują, że wilgotność i temperatura różnią się w zależności od kościoła. Wyraźnie też widać, że wilgotność względna pod posadzką każdego z kościołów pozostaje bardzo wysoka. Wygląda na to, że do mumifikacji doszło w niemal piwnicznych warunkach. Proces konserwacji prawdopodobnie ułatwiły luźno rozmieszczone struktury, które umożliwiły swobodny przepływ powietrza w grobach, odprowadzając wilgoć.

Keywords

EN

Early modern; Church archaeology; mummification; Finland

PL

wczesna era nowożytna; archeologia kościelna; mumifikacja; Finlandia; wczesna era nowożytna; archeologia kościelna; mumifikacja; Finlandia

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Łódzki. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
• Journal: Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Archaeologica
• Year: 2020
• Issue: 35
• Pages: 189-215

Dates

published

2020-12-30

Contributors

author

Tiina Väre

author

Annemari Tranberg

author

Sanna Lipkin

author

Titta Kallio-Seppä

author

Lauri Väre

author

Juho-Antti Junno

author

Sirpa Niinimäki

author

Nora Nurminen

author

Anniina Kuha

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Identifiers

DOI

10.18778/0208-6034.35.12