Vietnam discovers 200-year-old mummy

The well-preserved remains of a 200-year-old mummy buried in layers of fine silk, have been discovered in Vietnam, an archaeologist has said.

The remains - believed to be a man who died in his early sixties - was unearthed last week by workers at a construction site in Hanoi, said Nguyen Lan Cuong of the National Institute of Archaeology, who was involved in the excavation.

Cuong said the corpse was placed in a two-layer wooden coffin and sealed by a covering of limestone, sand, syrup and paper, and had remained intact.

Experts have removed scented oils from the coffin, along with 14 traditional silk tunics and two pairs of trousers that the man was dressed in and were all still in good shape, he said.

"It's a very interesting discovery because we could get to know what clothes people at that time were wearing," Cuong said, adding he believes the man belonged to a wealthy family and was likely buried at the end of the 18th century or early 19th century.

Cuong said the institute has discovered about 35 other similar corpses, with the oldest dating back to the 17th century. However, the scented oils poured onto this corpse to preserve it, did not emit a foul smell as has been the case with many others.

The corpse was expected to be reburied later Saturday because experts were struggling to preserve it, he said, adding that they had determined he was not a famous historical figure.