French archaeologists discovered the bodies of 21 German soldiers who fought in World War I. The men were buried alive in 1918 after an Allied shell exploded over their underground shelter and caused the structure to cave in on them.

The bodies were discovered in eastern France near the town of Carspach. The Daily Mail, The Sun, and The Daily Telegraph posted photos of the excavation site.

Some of the men were found in sitting positions on a bench, others lying down, said lead archaeologist Michael Landolt, The Sun reported. One was projected down a flight of wooden stairs and was found in a fetal position. The collapsed shelter was filled with soil. The items were very well preserved because of the absence of air and light and water. Metal objects were rusty, wood was in good condition and we found some pages of newspapers that were still readable. Leather was in good condition as well, still supple.

Here are other ways in which bodies have been preserved. Warning: some of the images may be a bit graphic.

Ice
This Incan woman, named “Juanita” by discoverers, was found frozen in southern Peru in 1995. Reuters
Tar
Tar has preserved the bones of many an animal. Reuters
Bog
Two male bodies were discovered in bogs in central Ireland in 2003. They were named Old Croghan Man and Clonycavan Man, after the areas in which they were found. They were estimated to have lived more than 2,000 years ago. Old Croghan Man was in especially good shape."He had very well manicured nails, and his fingertips and hands were indicative of somebody who didn't carry out any manual labor,” said Isabella Mulhall of the National Museum of Ireland, National Geographic reported. “So we presume he came from the upper echelons of society.” Flickr/CreativeCommons/markhea
Lava
Mount Vesuvius may have erupted and virtually destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD, but the lava helped to preserve many bodies. Flickr/Creative Commons
Mummification
Here's a 2010 photo of King Tut's grandmother, Queen Tiye. Reuters
Embalmment
The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Italy contain some of the best preserved bodies in the world. The bodies underwent various techniques to remain in relatively good state. Reuters