Syphilis-ridden Swiss mummy identified as Boris Johnson's ancestor
Researchers have determined the identity of mummified body found decades ago in Basel, Switzerland. They came up with a surprising find: the woman was an ancestor of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Decades-old mystery
The body was found in 1975, during the renovation of the Barfüsser Church in Basel. She was buried in front of the church's altar; her remains also showed she was well-fed and elegantly dressed, indicating she was a wealthy woman. There was, however, no gravestone, so her identity remained a mystery.
Treated for syphilis
One of the reasons the body was so well-preserved is that it contained a high level of mercury, which was often used as a treatment for syphilis from the late 15th to 19th century. Problematically, the mercury treatment would often poison and kill patients instead of healing them.
New information from mummy's toe
A team of researchers led by experts from Basel's Natural History Museum recently undertook new tests to identify the body. DNA was extracted from the mummy's toe. The results of their research, revealed on Swiss television this week, determined that the wealthy woman was Anna Catharina Bischoff, who died in 1787.
Family connection
In a surprise, researchers also determined Anna Catharina Bischoff was a distant ancestor of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. As historical records show, Bischoff's daughter married Christian Hubert Baron Pfeffel von Kriegelstein, and the family line leads down to Johnson — or Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, as he is officially named.
'Late great grand 'mummy''
The foreign secretary's father, author Stanley Johnson, said he was "totally thrilled" by the discovery. Boris Johnson himself reacted with a smile to the news reconnecting him with one of his 512 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents: "Very excited to hear about my late great grand 'mummy' — a pioneer in sexual health care. Very proud," he wrote on Twitter.