Archaeologists and scientists discovered that the concoction with which they embalmed in it ancient egyptian contained particular characteristics of each of the ingredients, even some identified elements might come from different sources. The mummification technique was used in Egypt for 4,000 years.
Stephen Buckley, an archaeologist at the University of York in England and one of the authors of the new study, expressed on the BBC the recipe that the Egyptians used to mummify:
- Vegetable oil, possibly sesame oil
- Extract of “balsam-like” plants or roots that may come from a species of rush (Scirpus holoschoenus)
- Vegetable gum, a natural sugar that may have been extracted from the acacia tree
- Crucially, resin from some conifer, probably pine resin
When mixed with the oil, the resin gave it antibacterial properties, which prevented the decomposition of the body. “Until now we didn’t have a prehistoric mummy that might demonstrate so perfectly from a chemical point of view the origins of the process that led to the mummification that we all know,” Buckley said.
“It was generally thought that mummification began around 2,600 BC, when the Great Pyramid was built,” Buckley said. “But we found evidence that the body preservation tradition started earlier.”
Embalming was one of the early drivers of globalization
In order to decipher the ingredients used by the Egyptians, scientists analyzed the mummy in the Turin museum. The choice was due to the conservation characteristics that, for thousands of years, their facial features are still distinguished today.
Experts have revealed that the ancient Egyptians were masters of chemistry and knew exactly what ingredients were needed to prevent meat from going bad. The first part of the embalming process, which took a total of 70 days, involved the removal of the people’s internal organs, except for the heart.
The body would have been covered in a type of salt called natron to dry it out, before embalmers anointed it inside and out to help preserve the skin. The entire process was to help ‘transform’ an individual from an earthly to a divine being, and prepare them for the followinglife.
Professor Philipp Stockhammer, who also worked on the study, said one of his most surprising findings was that tropical resins had been transported as far as Southeast Asia.
“Embalming was one of the early drivers of globalization because it meant that these resins needed to be transported great distances, from Southeast Asia to Egypt,” he concluded.
Dr. Maxime Rageot, one of the authors from the University of Tubingen in Germany, noted that “the embalmer has used some substances that might be important both for their antifungal and antimicrobial properties.” The specialist also stressed that these types of substances are useful for preserving human tissue and reducing some unpleasant odors.
The scientist also stressed that “these people used antibacterial and antifungal substances to keep the skin better preserved, but without having a microbiological history, without knowing regarding bacteria.” Dr Rageot concluded: “My personal highlight was seeing this enormous knowledge that has been accumulated through centuries of experience in embalming.”
NT / ED
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