Story highlights A mummified monk from China was found inside a Buddha statue

Researchers believe the monk practiced "self-mummification"

(CNN) A statue of a sitting Buddha that made its way from a temple in China to a market in the Netherlands revealed an extraordinary secret -- a 1,000-year-old mummified monk.

The mummy was discovered, encased in a cavity in the statue, when a private buyer brought it to an expert for restoration. It's unclear when or how the statue was removed from China.

A CT scan of the golden statue.

But it wasn't until a team of researchers and scientists did a CT scan -- a comprehensive three dimensional x-ray image -- last year, did they discover the mummy's organs were missing.

"We thought it would be lung tissue, but instead we found little scraps of paper covered with Chinese characters," said Vincent van Vilsteren, an archaeology curator from Drents Museum.

JUST WATCHED Child mummy scanned for clues on ancient life Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Child mummy scanned for clues on ancient life 01:39

The mummy was found sitting on a bundle of cloth covered in Chinese inscriptions, revealing its identity as a Buddhist monk called Liuquan who may have practiced "self-mummification" to prepare for life after death.

Read More