The evidence suggests that the Ice Maiden was not buried immediately after she died — the embalmed body was retained by her community for some time, potentially playing a continuing role in their ceremonial life.

The traces of material from a chair found on the Ice Maiden’s skin suggest, as the sources note, that “her mummified body played a special role, even after her death.” The body may have been seated and displayed at ceremonies before being placed in the burial mound.

This practice — retaining and using the body of an important deceased person as part of ongoing ritual — is documented in various ancient cultures and is consistent with the kind of status that the elaborate burial suggests the Ice Maiden held.

The embalming was also the reason the body survived the melting of the ice without immediate deterioration when the archaeologists exposed it.