파주에서 발견된 16세기 미라 머리카락의 미세구조과 보존상태에 관한 연구
January 2005
TLDR The 16th-century mummy's hair was well-preserved due to a calcium coating.
The study examined the ultrastructure and preservation of hair from a 16th-century female mummy discovered in Paju in 2002. Using electron microscopy, researchers found the hair to be in excellent condition, with intact cuticle, cortex, and medulla structures. The cuticle layer consisted of 6 to 7 cells, and the cortex contained macrofibrils and melanin granules. The preservation of the hair over 440 years was attributed to a calcium-containing surface coat, which likely prevented moisture and microbial infiltration.