Most forensic anthropologists have to focus their research on human bones. That’s because a body’s soft tissues tend to decompose quickly. The brain is usually one of the first soft-tissue organs to break down after death, says Morton-Hayward. It liquefies and seeps out of the skull. It’s rare to find a preserved brain. The old organs feel “almost rubbery and a bit squishy, kind of like tofu,” says Morton-Hayward. Bizarrely, when one is found, it’s often the only soft part of the body remaining. Morton-Hayward has devoted her career to finding out why this is the case.
England has many ancient archaeological sites. If an excavation turns up a body with a preserved brain, Morton-Hayward jumps into her car and races to the scene to collect it—placing it in whatever container she has on hand, such as a jam jar or takeout box. Then she transports the brain back to her lab to study its structure and composition. Morton-Hayward thinks that brains may be preserved under special conditions that cause molecules in the organ’s tissues to link up, forming a spongy texture. This could be why some brains stay intact while other organs decay.