The Mysterious Soviet Mummies

Soviet speleologists exploring caves in central Russia discovered a virtual city of dead, composed of dozens of ancient, mummified men, horses, and wild animals. Soviet scientists speculate that the men had been fleeing the armies of Alexander the Great, who reached modern-day Afghanistan in the fourth century B.C. On the other hand, they could have been driven into tha caves b y tribal feud and ended up meeting a mysterious collective death. Others, like Emory University anthropologist Brad Shore believe that the men may have been the victims of a natural disaster; a mudslide or landslide could have trapped the victims, burying them alive and then preserving their bodies.

The mummies, however, also disclosed evidence of mite infestation that had left the men with painful body sores, which didn't surprise the mountain people who live in the area today. They have always believed that the black plaque originated with mites from the nearby caves.