Monk's mummified remains found in Buddha statue

The mummified remains of a Buddhist master were found inside the statue. Credit: M. Elsevier Stokmans/German-Mummy-Project Mannheim

Scientists have taken scans and bone samples from the mummified remains of a Buddhist monk which were found in a relic from the 11th or 12th Century.

Experts believe the remains are of Buddhist master Liuquan, who belonged to the Chinese Meditation School and died around 1100 AD.

Scientists took bone samples from the mummy and found some parts were stuffed with paper. Credit: Jan van Esch/Meander Medical Centre

The statue was placed on a CT scanner which revealed the perfectly preserved skeleton inside.

Bone material was removed for DNA testing and samples were also taken from the thoracic and abdominal cavities, but instead of organs, scientists mainly found rotten material and paper scraps printed with ancient Chinese characters.

The statue, which contains the only Chinese Buddhist mummy available for scientific research in the West, is now on display at the Hungarian Natural History Museum until May.