In Thailand! Preserved corpse covered in 'black magic' tattoos found by excavators at ancient burial site

Excavators unearthed a corpse from an ancient burial site - and were amazed to find the skin was still intact.

Authorities made the gruesome discovery while cleaning a remote cemetery in Mukdahan, Thailand, near the border with Laos.

The skin, found hanging off the dead man's skeleton, was covered with tribal bamboo tattoos.

The artwork is believed to have been inked as part of an ancient black magic spell was hoped to make the skin inpenetrable.

Excavators believe the ink used in the Sanskrit writing and tiger pictures ensured the man's body stayed together and was prevented from rotting.

But in a cruel twist, it may have been the 'spell' that killed him, according to a Thai archaeological organisation.

They said: "The authority cleaned the cemetery with local people and volunteers and they found the skin of an old man who died of appendicitis.

"However, he couldn't have surgery because the skin was too hard to cut and he ended up dying in agonising pain from the illness.

"The skin has a lot of tattoos and it hasn't gone rotten. The spell to protect him and make him strong prevented the operation and then after he died stopped his skin from rotting."

The skin had been inked with Sanskrit writing and pictures of a tiger 

The reason the skin had not rotted is not clear, but the discovery excited more superstitious Thais.

"This is amazing," Suriya Rachatawet said. "It shows that magic spells really do work."